Indiana University Athletics
Sarkodie, Alexander Invited to Major League Soccer Combine
12/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Dec. 11, 2009
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Indiana University men's soccer seniors Ofori Sarkodie and Eric Alexander are two of 62 college seniors invited to participate in the 2010 adidas Major League Soccer Player Combine January 8-12 at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. The combine will be the last chance for MLS teams to evaluate players before the 2010 MLS SuperDraft to be held Jan. 14 in Philadelphia, Pa.
A defender, Sarkodie started all 22 matches played this season, helping the Hoosiers to eight shutouts, including shutout victories over No. 6 Louisville and No. 22 Butler in the 2009 NCAA Tournament. In his four-year career at Indiana, Sarkodie appeared in 83 matches, making 70 starts, and was a part of 30 shutouts. He was a second-team All-Big Ten pick in 2009, earning first-team honors in 2007 and Big Ten All-Freshman team accolades in 2006. Sarkodie, who will earn his degree this December after three-and-a-half years at IU, was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree, an ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American, and was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar in 2009.
Selected as a team captain in 2009, Alexander started all 23 matches and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection for the second consecutive season. Alexander scored his lone goal of the season against Wake Forest, while also contributing assists in matches against Kentucky, Penn State, Wisconsin and Louisville. Alexander appeared in 91 matches and made 80 starts, finishing with 12 goals and 13 assists for his career. He was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2007 and a unanimous pick for the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2006. Alexander was also a standout in the classroom as a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection.
The coaching and management staffs of all 16 MLS teams will be in attendance to scout talent at the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine, which concludes two days before the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. At the 2009 MLS SuperDraft, considered one of the best talent pools in SuperDraft history, 42 of the 60 players drafted attended the 2009 adidas MLS Player Combine; 10 combine players were selected in the first round. The 2010 MLS SuperDraft will be held on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 in Philadelphia.
The initial player list was determined by a select panel of Division I college coaches representing all conferences who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. Youth players from the Generation adidas program will join additional collegiate players from NCAA Division II and III schools, NAIA schools and Division I alternates to finalize the 2010 adidas MLS Player Combine. The final player list and team assignments will be announced in the coming weeks.
