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Kiwis at US Colleges

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Posted December 28, 2021 18:34 · last edited December 28, 2021 19:34

coochiee
MLS Draft is 11th Jan 2022. Any Kiwi contenders?

Piney rates Jesse Randall, but still too young for the Draft? Or looking like Joe Bell to take a different football route?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_MLS_SuperDraft

Randall is only a freshman at Northern Kentucky (ranked 197 in 2021) so doubt he would enter the draft this early. For context of how difficult it is to get drafted, considering there’s typically 60 spots, there are 208 Div1 MSOC teams across 21 Conferences. Of guys to have played age group stuff for New Zealand, who are now at US Div 1 colleges, I can only really think of these guys who would potentially put their names forward:

Luke Johnson: (2015 U17 World Cup, 2017 U20 World Cup), defender at Conference-USA University of North Carolina (ranked 47 in 2021);

Billy Jones: (2019 Pacific Games, 2019 OFC Olympic qualifying), defender at Western Athletic Conference University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV) (ranked 154 in 2021)

Willem Ebbinge: (2017 U17 World Cup, 2019 U20 World Cup), midfielder at Ivy League Conference Harvard (ranked 78 in 2021)

It’s worth noting though, that the draft isn’t what it’s like in NBA/NFL, as the best young players are joining MLS academies as teenagers and going through that route more frequently, similar to European football. Most drafted players, if they get signed, spend at least the first season on loan at USL sides, with only really the top 5 draftees normally going straight into MLS first teams.

A few younger guys who are at top 60 teams, but probably too early to put themselves forward:

Jaylen Rodwell: freshman defender at Portland (ranked  29), 14/19 games played this season

Campbell Strong: freshman midfielder at Seattle (ranked 35), 21/22 games played this season

Kris Naicker: freshman defender at Central Arkansas (ranked 49), 17/17 games played this season

Ronan Wynne: sophomore defender at Denver (ranked 51), 17/19 games played this season

Adam Hillis: freshman defender at UNCW (ranked 54), 9 starts, 15/17 games played this season

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Unknown editor edited December 28, 2021 19:34
coochiee
MLS Draft is 11th Jan 2022. Any Kiwi contenders?

Piney rates Jesse Randall, but still too young for the Draft? Or looking like Joe Bell to take a different football route?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_MLS_SuperDraft

Randall is only a freshman at Northern Kentucky (ranked 197 in 2021) so doubt he would enter the draft this early. For context of how difficult it is to get drafted, considering there’s typically 60 spots, there are 208 Div1 MSOC teams across 21 Conferences. Of guys to have played age group stuff for New Zealand, who are now at US Div 1 colleges, I can only really think of these guys who would potentially put their names forward:

Luke Johnson: (2015 U17 World Cup, 2017 U20 World Cup), defender at Conference-USA University of North Carolina (ranked 47 in 2021);

Billy Jones: (2019 Pacific Games, 2019 OFC Olympic qualifying), defender at Western Athletic Conference University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV) (ranked 154 in 2021)

Willem Ebbinge: (2017 U17 World Cup, 2019 U20 World Cup), midfielder at Ivy League Conference Harvard (ranked 78 in 2021)

It’s worth noting though, that the draft isn’t what it’s like in NBA/NFL, as the best young players are joining MLS academies as teenagers and going through that route more frequently, similar to European football. Most drafted players, if they get signed, spend at least the first season on loan at USL sides, with only really the top 5 draftees normally going straight into MLS first teams.
Unknown editor edited December 28, 2021 19:02
coochiee
MLS Draft is 11th Jan 2022. Any Kiwi contenders?

Piney rates Jesse Randall, but still too young for the Draft? Or looking like Joe Bell to take a different football route?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_MLS_SuperDraft

Randall is only a freshman so doubt he would enter the draft this early. Of guys to have played age group stuff for New Zealand, who are now at US Div 1 colleges, I can only really think of these guys who would potentially put their names forward:

Luke Johnson: (2015 U17 World Cup, 2017 U20 World Cup), defender at Conference-USA University of North Carolina;

Billy Jones: (2019 Pacific Games, 2019 OFC Olympic qualifying), defender at Western Athletic Conference University of Las Vegas, Nevada (UNLV)

Willem Ebbinge: (2017 U17 World Cup, 2019 U20 World Cup), midfielder at Ivy League Conference Harvard 

It’s worth noting though, that the draft isn’t what it’s like in NBA/NFL, as the best young players are joining MLS academies as teenagers and going through that route more frequently, similar to European football. Most drafted players, if they get signed, spend at least the first season on loan at USL sides, with only really the top 5 draftees normally going straight into MLS first teams.