#iBallTDB Fall Camp Immediate Takeaways
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iBall With Terry Drake Basketball put on another outstanding camp, and here are my thoughts on a few players that stood out… Bryce Dawson Bryce Dawson 6'5" | SF Central | 2025 State AL (6’4/Wing/’25/Central-Phenix) Instagram: Bk1.offixial X/Twitter: @Bk1_offixial I…
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Continue ReadingiBall With Terry Drake Basketball put on another outstanding camp, and here are my thoughts on a few players that stood out…
Bryce Dawson Bryce Dawson 6'5" | SF Central | 2025 State AL (6’4/Wing/’25/Central-Phenix)
Instagram: Bk1.offixial
X/Twitter: @Bk1_offixial
I know that I have put a lot of ink on Bryce lately, but he continues to impress me every time I see him, and it was no different at the #iBallTDB Camp. I am not sure if it is his play on the court or his leadership off the court. He is maturing as a player, leader, and person, and his game is evolving right along as he grows as a person. He showed that he is a shot maker and even made some tough shots that had all in attendance having a wow moment. When asked at the end of camp if he had any offers, he said no, which had many of the staff questioning why not. He is a versatile player that plays the right way, plays hard, understands the game, defends multiple positions, and is a guy that can score the rock at all levels. Look for Byrce name to be mentioned throughout the state this year just as much as I write about him in my articles.
Gage Mayfield Gage Mayfield 6'6" | PF Hale County | 2026 State AL (6’6/PF/’26/Hale County HS)
Instagram: 5stargoon
Gage listed himself as 6’6, but I promise you, as I stood there talking to him, he seemed to be a little bigger than 6’6. Just last year at camp, he was standing probably 6’2. He has grown, is wearing a size 17 shoe, and still has a lot of growing to do. He was one of the players whose stock really increased at camp this year. He showed a lot of versatility on the offensive end of the floor, as he can put it on the floor and score off the bounce. I was really amazed at how he finished above the rim off the bounce and out in transition. A large share of his buckets go unassisted, meaning he creates a good deal of his shots on his own. His length was a factor on both ends as defensively, he made it hard for players to get clean looks as he often contested shots in the paint and at the rim. Offensively, he made scoring look very easy as he often just elevated and shot over defenders. His stock increased this weekend, and look for him to be high in the upcoming rankings.
Paul Dixon (6’1/CG/’25/Mountain Brook)
Instagram: pd_glixy
X/Twitter: @PD_glizzy
I have put ink on Paul before, and he came and had a sensational camp showing both his ability to orchestrate and score the rock. If he can learn the Mountain Brook system, he has the talent level to provide additional ball-handling, scoring, and creating off the bounce. He was in attack mode the majority of the day and was really aggressive, looking for his offense. He showed improvement with the long ball, and he will definitely have to be able to produce from behind the arc if he wants to see his MPG get to double digits.
Tierren Thomas (6’0/SG/’24/Calera HS)
This was Tierren’s first #iBallTDB camp experience, and he made a huge impression on the camp staff. He was vocal throughout the day, separating him from 95% of the camp. He does not do a lot of dancing with the rock, but he gets downhill with force. He was aggressive and went hard the entire day. He has a good feel for the game and understands how to facilitate and score. He is a two-way player who makes his presence felt on both ends. Hopefully, he can find some traction during his senior campaign when it comes to offers from the next level.
Ben Simms Ben Simms 6'0" | PG Indian Springs | 2025 State AL (5’10/PG/’25/Indian Springs School)
Instagram: bsimms4957
X/Twitter: @BenSimms07
Ben Simms Ben Simms 6'0" | PG Indian Springs | 2025 State AL has been at every #iBallTDB camp since its conception, and he has improved his game every time he has stepped on the floor. He is a joy to watch with his fast and loose play. He takes and makes difficult shots and passes, which are not really difficult for him as he has put in the work to have the freedom to make tough plays. Sometimes he’ll do something you’ve never seen before on the court, but that is an attribute of his talent level. Ben is a joy to watch as he has a good PG IQ, plays loose and fast, is an excellent teammate, and does whatever it takes to win. He is a reliable lead guard that understands how to run and lead a team. He showed off his crafty and cunning play throughout camp and showed tremendous growth as a PG.
Carson McKenney (6’5/C/’26/Thompson HS)
Instagram: carsonmckenney2026
Carson was not able to stay the entire camp, but during his time there, he showed off a skillset that had many intrigued. He has a soft touch as he shot the ball well from behind the arc, which was the area of his game that had many impressed. He has good positional size and showed that he is nimble on his feet. He clogs up the paint while at the same time maneuvering in and around the paint very well. He showed developing footwork, good hands, and a nice skillset. He will be a player that will garner a lot of attention in that 2026 class over the next few years.