Muslim Basketball

No Waqas? No problem. Rafah continues to steamroll through the league, proving depth and discipline matter just as much as star power. Their win over Tubas was anchored by standout performances from Tyler and Ghaos, who carried the offensive load with confidence. What truly separates Rafah is the relentless grind from their role players with high-effort defense, second- chance plays, and steady composure. Even without their captain, Rafah looks like the most complete team in MB and the current favorite to finish on top.

Projected Finish: #1

In the “Clash of the Titans” against Rafah, Tubas showed exactly how important Saad Qureshi is to their success. Even on an off night (5–18), Tubas kept the game within five points, an impressive sign of their overall balance. David Barber continues to be a double-double machine, while Ahmed Naiem fills every statistical column with quiet consistency. With meaningful contributions coming from nearly every player, Tubas remains poised, confident, and fully capable of staying in the title race.

Projected Finish: #2

Talk about grit. What looked like an early runaway loss to Nazareth transformed into one of the toughest defensive performances of the week. Shatila packed the paint, forced difficult looks, and out-worked Nazareth in crunch time. Even with AW fouling out after an impressive stat line (10 pts, 13 reb, 4 stl), the team held its ground and closed out key possessions late. The offense may not be flashy, but Shatila continues to show they are the best defensive unit in MB capable of dragging any team into the mud and making them uncomfortable.

Projected Finish: #3

We finally saw the full “Big 3” of JD, Chandler, and 50 and it was as lethal as advertised. JD returned with another dominant outing (30 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast on 71% shooting), Chandler delivered a calm but strong double-double, and 50 set the tone with his energy and versatility. This team can score from every level and looks entirely different when its core is available. Despite a 1–2 record, Jerusalem’s ceiling is sky-high, and this win may very well be the spark that launches them into a top-three seed push.

Projected Finish: #3–4 Range

Nazareth came into the season looking like the most explosive offense in the league, but Week 3 exposed their volatility. Shooting 31% from the field (20–64) and just 21% from deep is tough to overcome, especially against a defense like Shatila’s. Even with the cold shooting night, Jamal Malik led all scorers with 17 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 38%. The talent is obviously there with the big four of Anwar, Yaseen, Jamal, and L, but the question remains: Can they all produce efficiently at the same time? Or will the offense lean too heavily on Jamal to carry them through tight games?

Projected Finish: #4–5 Range</e

Despite the 0–3 record, Gaza continues to compete with heart and resilience. Wasay’s 28-point explosion (8–13 from three) shows the offensive firepower this team can generate when they get hot. Missing Maaz proved costly in the close matchup against Jerusalem, and his absence in two of three games makes it difficult to judge Gaza fairly. Even so, this team ranks 2nd in the league in 3PT%, which speaks to their offensive potential. With Maaz returning to open the floor and balance the attack, Gaza is very capable of stealing key wins and entering the playoffs with momentum.

Projected Finish: #6