Muslim Basketball

Mombasa had some impressive wins this season, probably the most impressive being a nail biter against Sana’a. They struggled in some key games against quality opponents, with losses to Dhaka, Kazan, and Alexandria. Nonetheless, they are without a doubt a top 3 team and my personal pick to win it all. Led by MVP Raza Nassim, the sky is the limit for Mombasa, but they will have a tough road to get back to the glory land. Just to start the postseason, they play a much tougher team than Amman’s 3-7 record would lead one to believe. A win would most likely get them a date with a scorching hot Mecca team looking to get over the hump. Mombasa has the experience, poise, and skill to get Masta Weiss his 7th championship (Left and right hand, Robert Horry).

In a game where both teams matched up very well, Mombasa showed it still had the champion’s mentality to eek out a close win. They too have an extremely well balanced team – terrific backcourt duo of Sadat and Raza, very strong frontcourt of Weiss and G, and difference making wing players in John and Shawn. They can compete in any sort of gameplay and the experience is there. Raza hit three very clutch 3s to end Sana’a runs and eventually bring Mombasa over the hump. Look for the potential MVP to take a stronghold of this offense and force defenses to really respect his lightning speed and his potent deep shot.

They are a successful squad when they can run up and down the court and get easy baskets. Alexandria stripped them of that advantage – they were able to run back and stop most transition play, keeping Raza from piling up layups with his flash-like speed. A couple plays here or there would’ve changed the outcome of this game, but in the end, the better team won. Mombasa was right there with them, but has the cloud of greatness that shrouded Weiss and Co. finally evaporated?

I don’t understand their attendance problem. It seems like week in and week out, they only have 4 or 5 guys. If Gurg was there, I have no doubt they would have won this game. They did everything they could, but it is not easy when you have no reserves. Raza had a very solid game, Sadat had a season high of 13, and Weiss did what he always does down low. It just wasn’t enough against a Kazan squad that is seeking attention. I cannot knock them further down because we all know how good this team can be when they have all their players. They’ll need all the offense they can get in a big game against Alexandria next week.

44 points may not be enough to beat Mecca, but when you hold Anas Zubi to 11 points (yes, eleven), you have a very good chance of edging them out. In what was a much worse shooting game than I anticipated, Mombasa shot 42.5%, but struggled from beyond the arc. They got outrebounded, but their execution in the half court eliminated Mecca’s ability to run. Between Sadat, Raza, and even Weiss, they find ways to get open baskets under the rim. If there was a stat for hockey assists, I have no double that Sadat and Mombasa would lead the league. Gurj is often the beneficiary of their terrific passing, but he struggled more than the 6-11 stat line would lead one to believe. It was not pretty, but hats off to Mombasa for beating a team who wanted to bounce back after a bad loss last week. Things will not be any easier next week, as they face the league’s hottest team, Kazan.

Started the game off with only four guys, eventually finished it off with 4 following the disqualification of one of their five. Huge game from Raza, who seems to pick Mombasa up whenever they need it. They played without Gurj, and other than Weiss’ 17 points, it was a one-man show. It was just enough to beat a pesky Damascus squad who finds a way to keep games competitive. Mombasa’s biggest concern (aside from attendance) should be rebounding. They put up solid numbers all season long, but they have also been exposed on the glass a few times. Damascus doubled them up on the boards and had 3 guys finish with double digit rebounds. Fortunately for them, they forced 20 turnovers and were able to sneak by with a win. They’ll need a full squad and intense rebounding effort to get by a Mecca team that’s looking to bounce back after a blowout loss.

It’s Dhaka………then Mombasa…then Mecca………………….and then everyone else. They may be the only team in the league built similarly to Dhaka. They have guys who can go off and add a major contribution in any game - there’s no pressure on a single player to perform week in and week out. In week 1, we saw what Raza can do when he takes over. In weeks 2 and 3, we saw newcomer Gurj show off his talents. This week, they were led by Raza, but were still very balanced. Gurj was a point and rebound away from a double double, John Diaz added 8 points and 11 rebounds on efficient shooting, and Weiss reeled in 8 more boards. They held a potent Lahore squad to 28 points, a feat that should concern the rest of the league.

Back to a familiar spot – Mombasa has what appears to be the most significant off-season signing. Gurjinder followed up his MB debut with yet another terrific performance. 24 points and 11 rebounds for Gurj, Raza and Weiss added 14 points each, and the squad as a whole assisted on 23 of 27 field goals. Mombasa has disposed of two lower-tier teams following their shorthanded opening day loss to Dhaka. They may not have beat the competition good enough to solidify themselves as a top 2 team, but this team, with full attendance, may have the only shot at taking down Dhaka. They have a chance next week to prove worthy of the number 2 ranking when they take on Lahore. If you like points, head over to court A at 9:00AM. Setting the over/under at 110 for this one.

Gurjinder Singh made his Muslim Basketball debut and boy was it one for the ages. He and Weiss dominated Fez in every facet of the game in the second half. Surprisingly, Fez was able to really challenge Mombasa for 25 minutes, but then Mombasa turned it up and absolutely ended all hopes Fez had for the upset. Raza’s attempt at a triple double (10 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists AND 4 steals) was overshadowed by the play of Gurj and Weiss, but that sort of performance by Raza will further solidify Mombasa’s attempt at redemption. 

Tough to play 4 on 5, very tough to do so against a good team, impossible to do so against the defending champs. Despite a resilient effort from Raza, Mombasa literally did not have enough to challenge Dhaka. Cannot knock them too much, hopefully their attendance and shooting percentage increase moving forward.

 Lost a tough championship game but will have a shot at revenge as they kick their season off on a date with Dhaka. This season will feature a new-look Mombasa squad, but as long as Raza and Sadat are in the backcourt, they are a force to be reckoned with. Weiss always finds a way to recruit talent, so the losses of AJ, Eric, and John may not be as large as they appear. They do appear to be guard heavy, so they will need additional contributions from Weiss, who appears to be their only legitimate big. Raza and Sadat love to run, so this may actually play to their advantage. Wouldn’t be surprised to find them in a similar spot as last year – competing for the trophy.