With the MLS SuperDraft concluding on Tuesday afternoon, the Indiana Hoosiers saw three faces get their name called as the program continued to make history within the drafting process.
Highlighting this year's draft was senior and Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Hugo Bacharach who was selected ninth overall to Minnesota United FC. The selection marked the seventh consecutive season that a Hoosier has gone in the top 10 which is the longest active streak in the NCAA.
Bacharach, who had started the first portion of the 2023 season at center back, made the transition to center midfield where he had an immediate impact to the offense and overall flow of the team.
“He makes Jansen (Miller) and I’s job so much easier,” teammate and fellow draftee Joey Maher said about Bacharach’s impact this season.
Bacharach ended the season with four goals and four assists with arguably his best performance coming in the second round of the NCAA Tournament where he bagged two goals and seemed to be the most wanted man in North Carolina while doing so.
Next on the board was senior defender Joey Maher who was selected with the first pick in the second round (30th) to Toronto FC. Maher will join his brother Jack in the Eastern Conference of the MLS as Jack is a defender for Nashville SC.
“He always shows up and we always know we can trust Joey,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said after Indiana defeated Lipscomb in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The final selection of Hoosier names came with the first pick in the third round (59th) as junior midfielder Patrick McDonald was also selected to Toronto FC alongside Maher.
“We’ve worked with (Patrick) to take those shots right outside the 18 and he’s gained so much confidence,” Yeagley said after Indiana defeated Rutgers 4-1 in the regular season finale where McDonald bagged his second goal of the season on a low strike outside the box.
With McDonald being a junior, there has been a lot of noise that he is potentially planning on returning for his senior season at Indiana.
Yeagley has now had 25 players drafted to the MLS ever since he took the helm of the program in 2010. Seemingly no matter the type of season Indiana may have, there will be talent that makes it to the next level.
