1.) Big Falafels (3-1): After Week 2, the word used to describe this team was “consistency.” Although they blew out their Week 3 opponent, IE’s Finest, some thought it was just an “easy win.” Well, how about beating the #1 ranked team in Most Hated? This was a back-and-forth game that ultimately went down to the wire, and Big Falafels secured their third win off of missed free throws from Most Hated in crunch time. Humza Mela was huge this game, making his presence known from all over the court, as he scored 25 points with 12 rebounds. He took advantage of the lack in size from the defense and went to work on Most Hated, reminding D2 of his ability to control a game. Alongside him came the efforts of Zaid Dadabhoy, who poured in 16 points while knocking down five three-pointers. Anyone who takes down the #1 ranked team deserves recognition, and with that, Big Falafels takes #1 this week. This game gives us a preview of what’s to come in the postseason, but Big Falafels barely escaped with the win. Will they be able to increase their margins in a victory against these top teams, or will they be forced to go down to the wire each time?
Congratulations to Humza Mela on being named Week 4 Player of the Week!
2.) Side Bets (3-1): Following a 50-point beatdown, Side Bets left the gym looking for answers in Week 3, although the path in doing so wouldn’t be an easy one, as they faced off against Too Smooth this past Sunday. However, unlike their previous game, Bruce Haidrey had some help. He was back to playing like his old self, dropping 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 steals in a crunch-time victory against Too Smooth. We are used to seeing these numbers from him, but let’s talk about his supporting cast: moving up from D3 to D2, Baheer Khan made an immediate impact in his first game with this team; in fact, he nailed the game-winning three-pointer for Side Bets to take down the #2 ranked team in Week 3. Alongside Baheer came Umar Patel and Kishan Atreya, who, as mentioned in Week 3, made their presence known from both sides of the court. Bruce finally had the help he’d been seeking from his team, and it’s clear to see what can be done when they all click onto the same page. With that, they claim the #2 seed and let’s see if the team can consistently contribute in the games as we advance because Wet Like Book woke this team up, and it could be trouble for D2 if they continue to grow together.
Congratulations to Bruce Haidrey on his THIRD Player of the Week Award this season!
3.) Most Hated (3-1): Let's be honest; the game against Big Falafels could've gone any other way. The more surprising fact is Waleed Khaliq missed two consecutive free throws in crunch time, as he is arguably the best shooter on this team. However, what's done is done, and Most Hated faced their first season loss. That must have stung their coach, hoping for an undefeated season from his squad. In the loss, Waleed Khalliq had a strong performance, scoring 29 points while bringing down 11 rebounds. Mehr Khaliq and Anthony Newman were quiet this game, but it doesn't change the fact that they still made an impact because they made Big Falafels earn this win. So I think it's safe to say Waleed won't be missing any more free throws soon because this would've been a 4-0 record had he made them. Nonetheless, this team is a threat to the league every time they suit up, and I believe that a 10-1 season is very likely for them.
Also if you haven’t seen it yet, check out their IG: @mosthated.mbl.
4.) Too Smooth (3-1): For a brief period, it seemed the Too Smooth was moving away from Side Bets this past Sunday, as Sheraz Kari hit three contested three-pointers in a row in the third quarter. His total threes made by the end of the game were seven, as he racked up 26 points. However, Bruce had an answer for those threes, and this marquee matchup of Sheraz vs. Bruce was one for the books. Yaser Yousef did his best to control the offense, as he had a well-balanced game, but Too Smooth could not maintain a comfortable lead. One question, where was Ahmad Khalaf? That was the missing piece in this game, as he was quiet and held to only 5 points. Come on now, AK! Nonetheless, the crowd was packed, and the energy was high, and ultimately all Sheraz had to do was make two free throws to make it a three-point lead and add pressure… however he went 1/2, which eventually led to Too Smooth losing at the buzzer to Side Bets. This team should take this loss appropriately, as they had multiple opportunities to pull away, but they allowed Side Bets to hang around. They were #2 in the standings for a reason, but now they’ll have to make up ground.
5.) Brick City (3-1): As if talent didn’t already fill this team, how about adding Ibrahim Hamade to the mix, who made an immediate impact. Another face they had been missing for a while was one of their X-Factors in Salman Bickiya. This is a nicely built team, and their performance against formerly undefeated Only The Family was evident. Although they gave up a 20-point edge in this game, they kept themselves composed and closed out the round without allowing Only the Family to take over. This game was led by Ibrahim Hamade’s 22 points and 15 rebounds, alongside Salman Bickiya’s 14 points and 2 steals. Let’s not forget Mahmoud Bany-Mohammed, as he contributed 12 points as well. This story of this game of the bench, and they showed up accordingly. This team is one to watch with all the players they have, and although they don’t have Sheraz this season, this team has the potential to surpass the “Who’s Next” team that won the championship last summer. Oh, and also, this win was done without Player of the Week, Kareem Madkour, so take that into account.
6.) Only The Family (3-1): Mohammad Shafi. 32 Points. 7 Three-Pointers. Some of the teams have forgotten that this man is a bucket. Brick City almost made that mistake, as they gave up a 20-point lead and nearly the game to Only the Family, led by Shafi’s offensive dominance. Unfortunately for this team, they fell short, and if you look at the stat sheet, Kyle Hamilton wasn’t nearly as dominant as his Week 1 performance. However, he did catch a nice alley-oop dunk from Mo. Aside from that, he couldn’t buy a bucket. Ismail Famous had a strong double-double, but ultimately, the defense didn’t give Only the Family the edge over Brick City. However, they are a dominant team when things are clicking, and overcoming a 20-point deficit is enormous and shows the capabilities of this team. So expect a big game from Kyle Hamilton this week alongside Mohammad Shafi and Ismail Famous as they look to get back into the win column against Goonda Squad.
7.) Wet Like Book (3-1): Irfan Anwar looked like his “Hidden” days in this game, scoring 24 points while shooting 75% from the field. With these numbers, he led Wet Like Book to a smooth victory against IE’s Finest. Following his efforts came Abdul Yousef, as he scored 14 points; we need to get an in-game dunk from this MBL Veteran soon! Don’t forget the efforts of Emad Yahya and Ahmed Khan on the glass, as both tallied over 10 rebounds. Yusuf Hashim and Ahmed Chawla attacked the paint and got to the line, knocking down all their free throws. This next game is a potential game of the week, as Wet Like Book takes on Most Hated, and we know Radwan Yahya welcomes the challenge, so the matchup of Mehr vs. Radwan will be one to watch. Both teams are built to win, and this will be a game for the books; let’s see if Wet Like Book can continue to carry this flow. The road only gets tougher from here on out, as they face five of the top teams in their division. However, this team welcomes the challenge, so be sure to expect it from them!
Shoutout my boys and COY candidates Amir Siddiqui and Sallman Oyoun for holding it down!
(Teams 1-7 in the division are all 3-1, just a glimpse at how intense the competition is this season!)
8.) Goonda Squad (2-2): This team has turned it around following their rough start to the season. Anosh Ali had a breakout game against LA Flame, putting down 23 points and 13 rebounds in a one-sided win. This was a much-needed effort, as he’s been quiet thus far. Waqas Anis and Abner James have been playing their roles well, but Anosh was the missing touch, and after this performance, I expect this team to continue and build off this momentum. I can see this team making a run for the playoffs and having a chance for their ace Hadi Kassamali to return to the lineup. Until then, their roster has stepped it up, and let’s see if they can continue and build on their momentum.
9.) Ballers (2-2): Well, talk about a turnaround. Ballers may have added one of the best players in league with MBL newcomer Ammar Rehman. He dropped 32 points in a blowout win, and made clear his basketball capabilities. From my understanding, he played on a college basketball team many years back. Ballers needed this to get through their slump, as his performance brought out the best in Abdul Hameed, Khalid Afredi, and Justin Eazell. They match up against Brick City this week; let’s see just how good Ammar is because, unlike The Zone, Brick City will give him a challenge.
10.) Cereal Killers (1-3): This team made a substantial addition by the deadline in their acquisition of Mohammad Khalaf from Apollo8. Funny enough, he got to play against his previous team this past week and came out victorious. Humza Shariff showed up as he’s always been, delivering 26 points and 8 rebounds while shooting a high percentage. This gave Cereal Killers their first win, and with this new roster, I don’t expect there to be a significant difference in their record in the future. Still, the defensive capabilities of Mohammad Khalaf will come in great hands.
11.) LA Flame (1-3): It’s unfortunate to be putting this team down this far in the standings, but they can’t seem to get a full roster for any of their games. This has played a crucial part in their downfall this season, as there have been many different lineups and a lack of consistency with this team. Brandon Joseph is averaging a solid set of numbers, but this team won’t win games if they can’t find the character within themselves, and that starts by just having players show up to the game. Their next matchup will be a chance for them to figure some things out as they face Apollo8. So can the defending champs bounce back? It’s yet to be seen.
12.) Apollo8 (1-3): This team hasn’t seen much daylight the past couple of games, and it appears that the win against Wet Like Book was a fluke. They haven’t carried that momentum anywhere, and although Rayhaan Kayanda and Yasser Harmoush had 15+ each, they could not stop Humza Shariff, who gave them the works. This team added a prominent MBL Veteran in Anis Shilleh. However, he is coming off a torn ACL and will need some time before getting back into the flow of things. When healthy, Anis has shown just how capable he is, as we’ve seen with Flotilla. However, this season doesn’t expect much from him, and if this team wants to get anything going, they’ll need to figure out a strategy that works on both sides of the floor.
13.) IE’s Finest (0-4): This team would have been serious trouble 10 years back, but it seems that Junaid Ansari and Ahmed Shafik are now past their primes. These two were a force, but now it’s hard for them to get it going as their team relies on how Aamir Ansari and Eric Jennings perform on a game-to-game basis. Granted, both players can get it done, especially Eric, who put up 23 points and 10 rebounds last game. These two can score, but it ultimately relies on the rest of the team's contribution from both sides of the floor. Until then, Eric and Aamir will continue to run up their stats, but their team won’t find themselves in the winning column.
14.) The Zone (0-4): Azaan Khan, Saif Khan, and Faiz Rashid led their team in an effort against Ballers but ultimately fell short. Individually, these players are growing and getting used to the D2 competition, which will be good for the long run. Unfortunately, another loss, but I have to appreciate these three for their effort to keep up with a dominant Ammar Rehman last week. They have a dreadful matchup coming up against Big Falafels. Lookout for these three to tally the stats on their side in this tough matchup. Good luck, boys!