After an entire summer of massive one-on-one tournament qualifiers all over the country, the field is almost set for the Red Bull King of the Rock finals on Alcatraz Island on September 22nd.
Every player who has battled his way to a shot at glory on The Rock has a story, but we wanted to focus on a handful of players that we personally saw up close at qualifiers on the East Coast. Here are some of the guys who will be representing:
Adrian Woodard
Philadelphia Winner
@G_netikali_Bles
Adrian Woodard is a rugged forward out of Newark, NJ. Standing at 6-4, he’s a truck coming at you in the lane. After falling just short at the New York City qualifier, Adrian was determined to punch his ticket to Alcatraz, and wasn’t going to let anything get in his way. At the Philadelphia qualifer, he continuously drove to the basket all day long, using his combination of size and speed to finish over the smaller defenders. Occasionally, he would body his opponent down in the paint, showing off his array of post-moves just for fun.
“I’m extremely excited to get the chance to compete in Alcatraz,” says Woodward, “but I’m not going to settle. I’m going to make sure I’m in the gym everyday getting in the best shape possible so I can win and put on for my city.”
Alcatraz better watch out because when it comes to one-on-one basketball, Adrian Woodward is a major problem.
Corey Allmond
Washington DC Winner
@TeamAllmondJoy
There aren’t many people in the world who can proudly say they’ve scored 37 points on John Wall and the Kentucky Wildcats, but Corey Allmond can. Born and raised in Oxon Hill, MD, Corey Allmond is an explosive, 6-1 point guard who can break down his defender effortlessly and finish with flash. After recent stints in the NBDL and overseas in China, Corey Allmond is ready to be crowned the King of the Rock.
“Being a finalist feels amazing,” says Almond. “I just want to go out and represent D.C. like Baby Shaq was able to last year.”
D.C. could have their second-consecutive King of the Rock champion, but this time his name might just be Corey Allmond.
Tyrone “Redz” Hill
New York Winner
When it comes to one-on-one basketball, Tyrone “Redz” Hill can do it all. Post moves? Check. Mid-range jumper? Check. Three-pointer? You bet. Standing at 6-2 from Darby, PA, “Redz” has the skills of a guard, but the frame of a bruising power forward. Redz is no stranger to the King of the Rock, as he fell just short in last year’s D.C. qualifier to the soon-to-be champion Baby Shaq. He took that loss as motivation and came back this year hungrier than ever to prove why he deserves a spot at Alcatraz.
“I can’t wait to get out there,” says Hill. “If you thought I was hungry before, wait until you see me then. I expect to win it all.”
Marcus Fisher
Norfolk Winner
Marcus Fisher is a powerful, 6-3 shooting guard from Portsmouth, VA, that can get buckets from anywhere on the court. His scoring ability mixed with his playground attitude makes him a strong contender to become this year’s King of the Rock. Not only is he a cold-blooded shooter, but he’s also an incredible rebounder for his position. He doesn’t miss much, but on the rare times he does, defenders better be ready to box out.
Most recently, Fisher has been making a name for himself after being named MVP of the 2010 NC Pro-Am, giving headaches to guys like Jerry Stackhouse and Raymond Felton. When Fisher has the ball in his hands, you better be ready to guard up.
For more info on Red Bull King of the Rock, GO HERE.
