UAE Vice President's Cup Tournament Recap: Shabab Al Ahli Win Again!

The UAE Vice President's Cup wrapped up on the 17th of September and Shabab Al Ahli beat Al Wasl to win the in the finals. In addition to the finals game, Sharjah and Al Bataeh competed for 3rd and 4th place, and Al Nasr and Al Dhafra competed for 5th and 6th place.

Below is a final ranking of the tournament:

• Shabab Al Ahli

• Al Wasl

• Sharjah

• AL Bataeh

• Al Nasr

• Al Dhafra

Shabab Al Ahli won the finals with a convincing score of 103 - 91. Nick Minnerath, Qais Omar Al Shabibi, Hamid Abdullateef, and Chavaughn Lewis led Shabab Al Ahli throughout the tournament in a stellar fashion. Shabab Al Ahli continue to show the UAE and the world that they are the best team in the country. With reactive defense and cohesive offense, they pick apart their opponents with ease. Another great aspect of their team is the versatility of their players. Despite Nick Minnerath being 6'8" and very bulky, he has the ability to move up and down the court quickly and shoot the ball well from beyond the three-point line.

For returning readers of Dunk Center, or those who are familiar with Shabab Al Ahli, this news is not particularly surprising. What is notable is the success of Al Bataeh. For those who don't know, Al Bataeh is a small town in the emirate of Sharjah. As of the most recent Sharjah census, the population is only about 7000. It is amazing to see that such a small town has a passionate and talent-packed roster. Al Bataeh made some waves by beating Al Nasr earlier in the tournament and finishing off 4th place overall. It is an exciting sight to see for fans in the eastern and central regions of the UAE, as Al Bataeh is the most eastern team in the country.

The Sharjah club had a great tournament with an amazing buzzer-beater against Al Nasr, hit by Omar Al Amri. They ended the tournament in 3rd place after beating Al Bataeh in their final game. They lost in the semi-finals to Al Wasl in a close game 77-74 where Al Wasl secured their place in the Vice President's Cup Finals. The new additions of Devon Scott and Dequan Marquez Jones fit in great with the existing squad. One of the best attributes of this team is the amazing passing. While the club didn't get as far as they would have liked to, there are bright things ahead for the upcoming season.

Regarding Al Nasr, they didn't perform as they probably wanted, but I am sure that they will come back and be very competitive in the upcoming season. Their new addition, Marvell Harris, looks really great and can raise the ceiling of what the team can do in the league. We will also wait and see what their final roster looks like as they might look to bolster some other positions before the season starts.

Finally, Al Wasl had a heartbreaking defeat in the finals as they made it all the way but came up short. Nick West played really well along with his teammates, but the Shabab Al Ahli defense stopped the Al Wasl offense from completely taking off. They kept in the game for a good portion of the match, but couldn't take the win away from Shabab Al Ahli.