Sporting Kansas City selected two college seniors on Friday during the first round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, picking 23-year-old goalkeeper Eric Dick (No. 13 overall, pictured above) and 22-year-old defender Graham Smith (No. 18 overall).
The first two rounds of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas took place on Friday. Sporting KC did not have a second-round selection, but holds a pair of fourth-round picks at No. 75 and No. 82 overall. The third and fourth rounds of the draft will take place this Sunday via conference call.
Dick was a four-year starter at Butler University in Indianapolis, where he posted 28 shutouts and a 0.96 goals against average in 71 career starts. He was a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American as a senior after being named the 2017 Big East Conference Goalkeeper of the Year.
Born in Kansas City suburb Roeland Park, Kansas, Dick propelled the Bulldogs to the 2016 Big East Championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances over his last two college seasons. He registered a combined 27-10-4 record across his junior and senior campaigns, landing First Team All-Big East Conference honors last fall.
At the youth level, Dick competed for the Indiana Fire Academy and attended Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana, where he was a two-time All-District and All-County honoree.
Smith split his four-year collegiate career between Oregon State University (2014-15) and the University of Denver (2016-17). The versatile defender started each of his 80 career appearances at the NCAA Division I level, recording six goals and seven assists in his final two seasons with the Denver Pioneers.
A native of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, Smith was teammates with current Sporting KC forward Khiry Shelton during his freshman campaign at Oregon State. He assisted three goals in 38 games for the Beavers, helping the side reach the NCAA Tournament in 2014.
Upon transferring to Denver in 2016, Smith helped the Pioneers reach the Men’s College Cup for the first time in program history. He split time between the holding midfield and center back positions, serving as the lynchpin of a defense that notched a 0.52 goals against average in 2016 and a 0.71 goals against average in 2017. As a senior, Smith was a United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team selection and a CoSIDA Academic All-American.
VITALS
Eric Dick
Position: Goalkeeper
Number: TBD
Born: 10/3/1994 (23 years old)
Height: 6-5
Weight: 205
College: Butler University
Hometown: Carmel, Indiana
Birthplace: Roeland Park, Kansas
Citizenship: USA
Twitter: @DaBrickWall00
VITALS
Graham Smith
Position: Defender
Number: TBD
Born: 11/25/1995 (22 years old)
Height: 6-3
Weight: 186
College: University of Denver
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Birthplace: Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Citizenship: USA
Instagram: @insta__graham95
