Disclaimer: These are not personal jabs to anyone; in the end, this is all for fun. The goal is to bring a little spice to the season, and we will do so through a mix of these “Power Rankings” articles. Be on the lookout!

Makkah D1 Power Rankings:

1. Goofy Goobers (1-0): D2 MVP Bruce Haidrey, alongside runner-up MVP Sheraz Kari, have teamed up to make a team consisting of multiple D2 all-stars, intending to run through anyone in their path. With a team consisting of Mohammad Shafi, Ahmed Khan, Radwan Yahya, and Emad Yahya, this team has impeccable depth on both court ends. To make things better, Zayd Yunus, a powerhouse center, wraps up this team in terms of their depth. After Week 1, Sheraz Kari led the way with 22 points, while Bruce put in a near double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. Alongside this dynamic duo came Mohammad Shafi, scoring 16 points in the first half alone while sitting out the second half to prepare for his following game. With this many scoring options, stopping this team will take a lot of work. Speaking of stops, try getting through a defensive line consisting of Radwan Yahya, Ahmed Khan, and Emad Yahya. They made easy work of Icy Hot in Week 1 and look to do the same with Amex Holders in Week 2. Also, be sure to notice Bruce’s nickname this year, “Ban Me,” as always; he wants the smoke, and now he has a team that also wants it. Let’s see if D1 can give it to them. 

2. I7san (1-0): Back in the day, this team’s roster would make some serious noise; they still do, but can they prove to ball out still? Any team circulated by Abdul Yousef, AbdulHadi Fattal, and Abdul Hameed will bring it every night, regardless of age. These MBL veterans have proven themselves countlessly in the past, and they’re here to prove they can do it one more time. Khalid Ali, Osamah Gissri, Adam Jaber, and Ronny Wareh are bottomless in the guard position. At the same time, the three Abduls are ready to take control of the paint. With a roster consisting of depth from all angles, teams must make sure their play on both ends is sharp. Otherwise, you’ll be stunned watching Abdul Yousef steal the ball and throw it down on the other end. They took care of business in Week 1 against Amex Holders, as Abdul Yousef and AbdulHadi Fattal delivered with double-digit scoring. This team is full of champions and experience, but can they do it one more time? 

3. Flotilla (1-0): This team is well-built and ready to make some noise. Anis Shilleh makes his return from his ACL injury and is ready to pick up from where he left off. He is a player that will not miss once he sees a couple of 3s fall, and teams should be mindful because the game will get out of hand when that happens. Alongside him is his partner, Ahmad Khalaf, who has already begun to make noise after Week 1 and is ready to continue doing so as the season progresses. With him are role players such as Mohammad Hijazi, Ayyub Bokhari, and Ali Shamari, who are all strong bodies that will make you work all game. Flotilla gave Space Jammers their “Welcome to D1” moment with his teammates, as they came out on top after a hard-fought battle from both teams (I reckon these two teams will get along just fine down the line…). Moving forward, they have a matchup against the team ranked above them, I7san, and they will look to bring the same high energy to this game. Both teams will not back down, so this is a game to keep an eye out for!

4. BackOutsideBoyz (1-0): What a Week 1 performance by this team! They brought it from start to finish against Palifornia, with multiple players reaching double-digits. This team is designed to spread the work across the board, and this game is evidence of that, as Syed Asghar, Anthony Ortega, Austin Alvano, and Hammad Hammad all reached 10+ points while also contributing in other categories. This team was ready to play D2, but now that they have taken the next step, they are ready to deliver. This week they face off against a hungry Space Jammers team, and they better be ready because they won’t have it easy. Also, let’s put this team in debate for the best jerseys in D1 because the throwback Raptors jersey is always a sight to see! 

5. Amex Holders (0-1): A hard-fought battle with I7san this past week, but couldn’t pull through. This team is a strong, tall, and well-capable team in D1. With bigs such as Salman Oyoun and Ali Ankir, they are suited to rebound and guard the paint. Led by Torin Asefie, they held the game close most of the time but couldn’t close defensively. Aside from Torin, the bright spots in this game were Ali Ankir and Chandler Sanders, as both helped with scoring and rebounding. A significant determinant of this game was the foul trouble, as Amex Holders gave their opponent 21 free throws, and they will need to adjust this factor in the future because these free throws separated them in the game when it mattered. They face off against a hot Goofy Goobers team, and they’ll need to be clicking on all cylinders to compete in this game because the other team won’t slow down for them. Expect them to try and bring things to 1-1 this week, although it won’t be easy. However, to help with that, sources say Amex Holders just picked up Yaser Yousef, which will help them get on the right track moving forward. 

6. Space Jammers (0-1): There were some comments on Instagram this past week, as a video of Ahmad Khalaf scoring on Sabeel Khan surfaced. In this video, Sabeel was scored on as AK let him hear it, triggering many people. Although there was much noise, Sabeel remained relatively quiet, because he’s always let his game speak for him. Space Jammers is a team consisting of many D3 all-star players, and they took a significant leap to D1 this season, and for the first game, they performed well, making Flotilla work from start to finish. Although a quiet night for Sabeel, Sohyam, and Sameer, I don’t suspect it will stay this way, as they ran through D3 together well; this chemistry will benefit them as they attempt to win in D1. On the contrary, Shadan Amini, a pure scorer in his D3 season, picked up where he left off and scored 27 points from all angles, pressing the defense of Flotilla. He’s not going to stop here, so teams better watch out. Also, Salman Tailor, MVP, and Finals MVP, we’ll need to see more of you because you’ve proven to be able to play, and your team will need you to make some noise in D1. This is a young team, but they are hungry; I wouldn’t underestimate them. Look for them to bounce back against BackOutsideBoyz this week. 

7. Icy Hot (0-1): This team tried to keep up with Goofy Goobers in Week 1 but could not. However, it was their first game together; they will try to work things out. Muhammad Madkour was a force in the paint, playing big and securing rebounds to help his team stay in the game. However, he wasn’t going to get them the win by doing this on his own. His brother, Kareem, chipped in with 12 points, but the rest of the team was nowhere to be found, as they could not keep up with their opponent’s scoring and ultimately lost the battle. If this team can figure out their rhythm and put up numbers alongside the Madkours, they will be able to compete strongly offensively, but they’ll also need to make sure their defense is just as capable because three players on the opposing team scored over 15 in the last game. I believe this team will make the adjustments necessary; after all, Royal Walker, Zaid Dadabhoy, and the Madkours have proven to win in the past. 

8. Palifornia (0-1): This team is #8 in the standings due to their 20-point loss in Week 1; however, from what I’ve heard, this team has two former USC players on their squad in James Walker III and Alexis Moore. That makes things interesting, but in Game 1, there was nothing to be seen, primarily because Palifornia only had four players for some time. Until they show their capabilities, it is only fair they hold this place in the rankings due to their Week 1 performance. Aside from the bad, Ammar Rehman, a solid offensive talent in D2 last season, dropped a 29-point game in his effort to win against BackOutsideBoyz. This was the only bright spot of this game, alongside James Walker III’s 16 points. Can they bounce back? We’ll see if that’s the case against Icy Hot in Week 2, as both teams are looking to recover from a loss. Will Palifornia want it more?