Lalas Abubakar was a talented college center back at Dayton but acknowledged Thursday that his exposure was limited given the size of the Atlantic 10 school.
He was given a chance at the Major League Soccer combine and performed, shooting up draft boards as he established himself as one of the best center backs available. The 22-year-old was rewarded Friday during the SuperDraft when Crew SC selected him fifth overall, making him the club’s highest draft pick since 2006.
“When I came here, it’s a lot of top college players and I (told) myself I was going to compete against these guys and make my stock high,” said Abubakar, a 6-foot-1 defender.