Muslim Basketball

Rewind to week 5 when Mecca was absolutely shocked by Granada to start the game, in route to a 25 point rout. Fast forward to now, Mecca had a terrific season. They knocked off some very worthy opponents, Anas continued to do his thing, winning the scoring title and leading the most potent offensive attack. Why is this Mecca team different from past seasons? Billal Abbassi. I’m going to go as far as saying that he is not only the x-factor for Mecca, he is the unsung player to watch for in the playoffs. Anas is going to get his ~20 points, Ammar is going to dominate down low, but where will that extra push come from – Billal. He had a very solid 9 point, 5 rebound, 2+ assists per game season, but he can do more for a team that needs a little bit more to really really have a shot. If he elevates his game and Anas continues to cause nightmares, Mecca is legit.

If it wasn’t for a terrific second half, the script may have ended differently. Anas struggled a bit, but his brother was able to give Mecca just enough to beat Tehran. They’ll need a much better game from everyone next week if they want to beat Lahore and clinch a top 7 seed.

After being held to 20 and 11 points in two losses against Granada and Mombasa, Anas Zubi has exploded for 29 and 23 in Mecca’s last two games. That two game stretch were they looked like they were finished is now a distant memory. This team will go as far as Anas’ shoulders will take them. If Ammar Idelbi can regain that flow he had to start the season, Mecca will be a team no one wants to play.

Last two weeks they took Ls, but this week they bounced back. Anas Zubi, again, shows why he is highly regarded as the best offensive player in this league. He may be the only player that can score 20 then 11 and have those two games be called poor offensive performances. He led his squad to a much needed win and it came against their toughest challenge yet. A loss here may have crippled the confidence of this team, but Anas does what an MVP must do and just will his team to victory. Ammar Idelbi also had a very good game, more so than the 8 points and 10 rebound stat line would tell. His defensive effort held Salman to 4 points and 8 rebounds, while he also made life difficult when Dhaka would drive. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, Billal Abbassi needs to be the guy who complements Anas. Teams will continue to focus in on Anas, Billal has to be the one to take advantage of the over-attention paid to his teammate.

When you have such a dominant scorer (Anas Zubi) it makes it easier for everyone else to play offense. When that scorer is not having a good game, it makes it difficult for everyone else to find a rhythm. Another very bad shooting game from Billal, add that to an uncharacteristically low 11 points from Anas, and you have a recipe for disaster. Besides Anas, no one was able to score double digits. After a dominant start to the season from Ammar, he just hasn’t gotten the touches he needs in order to be effective on the block - they’re a better offense when Ammar has the ball in his hands. Mombasa was able to keep Anas from scoring without fouling, which has proven to be the recipe to stop the high-powered Mecca attack. Things do not get any easier – they take on the defending champs.

After surrendering a quick start to Granada, they just looked discouraged. Anas and Malik Zubi combined for 36, but got no contribution other than 8 points from Billal. Anas can only carry this team so far – they need to get more contribution from the rest of the squad, or play better defense. They let Granada do what they wanted, when they wanted. Things do not get easier from here – Mecca takes on a Mombasa team that pounces on the smell of blood. They need to come in this game ready to weather any storm and play a full 40 minutes.

Anas Zubi, man. He just finds a way to will his team to victory, although, this week he had some solid play around him. Billal Abbassi added an efficient 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Malik Zubi added 12 to complement his brother’s 24. Ammar was challenged all game long by the Omar bros, but he found a way to keep himself engaged and effective by grabbing 11 boards, even though he could not get a field goal to fall. If Anas continues to perform at this level and his teammates complement him and challenge their opponent’s entire defense, they will have a chance to make a run. They were inefficient and ineffective from deep, but they still found a way to hang up 53 on a stingy defense – very solid performance by this squad.

After a week 1 loss to Istanbul (without Anas Zubi), Mecca has put up impressive numbers, driving them to two straight wins against two respectable teams. Anas followed up his 24 point performance with 25, albeit a few in the waning seconds. He continues to show why he is the best offensive player in this league, scoring said 25 on 14 shots and 50% shooting. Bilal Abbassi showed why he should be considered the best rebounding guard, hauling in 11 boards. Solid game for Motasem as he was 2 rebounds short of a double double. Another sluggish game for Malik, who will have to pick up his play as teams pay more and more attention to his younger brother. Anas and Bilal will lead the charge, while Ammar Idelbi dominates down low – a formula that could push Mecca to the top of the hill. Not there yet as they’ll need a little bit more from the other guys to compete with a juggernaut such as Dhaka.

Anas Zubi made his season debut, getting reacquainted with the charity stripe. Don’t have my calculator, but shooting 14-17 from the line is okay *eyes looking left emoji*. Let’s not forget the veteran Ammar Idelbi, who dominated down low, adding 17 points and grabbing 18 rebounds. The only thing lagging the play of Anas and Ammar is the 3 point shooting – looking at you, Malik Zubi, for this one. He can light it up from very deep, but hasn’t yet found his rhythm. Shot a respectable 40% from three-point land, but only 2 makes won’t be enough to complement his brother and Ammar. If he can catch fire, Mecca will be able to play with anyone. They’ll have a chance to beat a top 3 team next week when they dance with Amman. Look for the matchup between Omar Mana (Amman) and Ammar Idelbi. Both are coming off of career games and the winner of that battle in the cylinder will win this game.

Difficult loss to a solid Istanbul team, but an understandable one without their horse Anas Zubi. Malik tried to overcome his brother’s absence, dropping 17, but their inability to put the game away in double OT left the door open for Istanbul and they were able to make Mecca pay. They play a tough Alexandria squad next week and will likely need to tighten up their defense.

 After a disappointing Spring, Mecca looks locked and reloaded for what could be a breakout season. Ammar and Obada are two of the toughest big men in the league, the Zubi brothers can explode in the blink of an eye, and now with Bilal Abbassi running the point, they could have the best offense in all the land. Arkan and Motasem will add some much needed length on the perimeter, solidifying a defense that was often lethargic and relied upon the offense far too much. If Mecca can perform on par with their on-paper appearance, they will be a nightmare for anyone. They’re physicality will be tested when they open the season up against Istanbul.