Many would say that it is far too early to look at next season’s Major League Lacrosse draft. But honestly, we won’t get another look at any of the prospects by the time January’s draft takes place. The prospects performance are fresh in our mind, so let’s take a look at names we should hear called next January.
Brody Eastwood- Stony Brook
Eastwood is a top prospect at both indoor and outdoor lacrosse. He projected to be a potential first round pick in the 2016 MLL draft after 62 goals with the Sea Wolves this past season. He eclipsed his previous career high from his freshman season by 18. He led the NCAA in shooting percentage this past season and in the previous two. He was third in goals per game with 3.44.
Ryan Brown- Johns Hopkins
Brown was one of the leaders who brought the Blue Jays to a surprise Final Four appearance, His stock only raised as the series went on and he has become a serious consideration for a first round pick. His 61 goals this season trailed Eastwood’s 62 and he was also fourth in the league with 3.39 goals per game. He scored eight goals in a game twice, against Big Ten opponents Maryland and Ohio State.
Zach Herreweyers- Loyola
Herreweyers broke out in his junior season with the Greyhounds, scoring 47 goals after a previous career high of 19 in his freshman season. He was injured for most of 2013-2014, but his emergence this past year has made him a top prospect. Herreweyers, also an elite indoor lacrosse prospect, was seventh in the nation with 3.13 goals per game.
Dylan Donahue- Syracuse
The next big Syracuse prospect. Donahue scored 50 goals this season, the most in his career. He led the team with the first seeded ranking going into the playoffs. He led the league in individual man-up goals with 15, and was third in the country in shooting percentage.
Mike Nugent- Mercer
The rise of the southern lacrosse schools have begun. Mercer has developed a pretty solid goaltending prospect who will get some looks in the draft. He was sixth in the country this season in saves per game with 12.6. He was also rankled 21st overall in save percentage. He’s always made a lot of saves, because Mercer defenses have tended to give up a lot of shots, so he has shown he can handle the workload.
Blaze Riorden- Albany
Riorden made headlines this past season when he scored a goal in the playoffs. But Riorden is much more than just that. With the Thompsons in mind, Riorden has been another backbone to the team in net as the Great Danes made playoff progress each season. He was 11th in save percentage this past season, but his best year was two seasons ago when he was third in saves made.
Myles Jones- Duke
Jones is one of the most dynamic players in all of lacrosse, and he is almost a sure fire bet to be a first round selection come January. He’s won two titles with the Blue Devils before his team was knocked out in the quarterfinals this season. This season he was 14th in the NCAA in points per game with 4.28 and he picked up a career high 40 goals.
Matt Kavanagh- Notre Dame
Kavanagh has emerged as one of the best players in the college game today. He brought the Irish to the Final Four where they fell to Denver. His goals total dropped a bit this season, but freshman Mickey Wynne had the ball a lot more as well. Kavanagh remains a top prospect for any MLL team, and could still be a first rounder. His peak was in 2013-2014 when he was tenth in the nation in points per game.
