ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 9, 2019) - Orlando City SC selected forward Daryl Dike with the fifth overall pick in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas. The Lions made three additional selections in round two, taking midfielder Joey DeZart with the No. 31 pick, Jonathan Dean with the No. 39 pick and Austin Aviza No. 44 overall on Thursday afternoon.
“I think we had a great draft and [got] the guys that we wanted,” Orlando City SC EVP of Soccer Operations Luiz Muzzi said. “Dike is a very exciting, young player. One of the youngest players in the draft...Extremely excited that we were able to get him. And with the later picks we were able to get the guys that we wanted at that position and we hope that they come in and show well. We’re very excited to have them.”
Dike (dee-KAY), 19, joins the Lions following two years at the University of Virginia, finishing his collegiate career with 15 goals and nine assists through 36 appearances.
As a sophomore, Dike led the Cavaliers with 10 goals and nine assists in 23 starts on their run to becoming the 2019 NCAA College Cup runner-up. He was named a Third Team United Soccer Coaches All-American, as well as the NCAA College Cup Most Outstanding Offensive Player after scoring three goals across Virginia’s two matches. In addition, he helped the Cavaliers to win the 2019 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship, logging 74 minutes in a 3-1 victory over Clemson.
Through his freshman campaign, Dike appeared in 13 matches, scoring five goals and adding one assist, earning him a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.
Dike signed a Generation adidas contract on January 7 to make him eligible for selection in the SuperDraft. More information on Generation adidas can be found at the link here.
A native of Edmond, Oklahoma, Dike was named the Oklahoma Gatorade Player of the Year in 2018. He earned Oklahoma Offensive Player of the Year three times, setting the Oklahoma 6A state record with 70 goals throughout his high school career.
DeZart (duh-ZART), 21, was taken with the Lions first pick of the second round, joining the Club following a four-year career at Wake Forest University. In 2019, DeZart appeared in 22 matches for the Demon Deacons, scoring one goal and adding one assist as a part of a Wake Forest team that reached the 2019 College Cup, falling to new Orlando teammate Dike and Virginia in the semifinal round.
In his collegiate career, DeZart registered 65 appearances with 53 starts, scoring two goals and adding four assists. A member of the Philadelphia Union Academy, DeZart played with the Union U-16s and U-18s throughout his prep career. At the international level, he was called into camp for the Jamaican U-20 National Team in 2016.
With the No. 39 overall pick, City selected local University of Central Florida defender Jonathan Dean. A native of Macon, Ga., Dean spent four years at UCF after transferring from Wofford College following his freshman year. As a Knight, Dean totaled 44 appearances in three seasons, while tallying 10 assists. In 2019 as a redshirt senior, he played every minute of a season that saw UCF make a run to the NCAA tournament, accumulating six assists in 20 caps.
While at Wofford, Dean scored one goal while registering five assists, earning him All-SoCon Freshman Team honors. In his prep career, he was a two-year starter at Stratford Academy in Georgia, where he won regional and state championships in 2012 and 2013.
The Lions closed out the day by selecting goalkeeper Austin Aviza with the No. 44 overall pick out of Providence College. In 2019, the redshirt senior appeared in 23 matches for the Friars, registering nine clean sheets. Prior to his time at Providence, Aviza spent two years at the University of Connecticut, where he totaled five shutouts in that span. He began his collegiate career at Syracuse University, where he started in nine matches before transferring to UConn.
During his prep career, Aviza played at the club level for the New England Revolution. In addition, he has also previously been called up to both the United States U-17 and U-18 National Teams.
The 2020 MLS SuperDraft will conclude on Monday, Jan. 13 with the third and fourth rounds. Orlando holds two more picks, No. 57 and No. 83 overall.
TRANSACTION: Orlando City SC selects forward Daryl Dike (No. 5 overall), midfielder Joey DeZart (No. 31 overall), defender Jonathan Dean (No. 39 overall) and goalkeeper Austin Aviza (No. 44 overall) in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft presented by adidas.
Daryl Dike (dee-KAY)
Position: Forward
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220
Born: June 3, 2000 in Edmond, Okla.
Hometown: Edmond, Okla.
Citizenship: USA/NGA
Joey DeZart (duh-ZART)
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-1
Weight: 195
Born: June 9, 1998 in Jackson, N.J.
Hometown: Jackson, N.J.
Citizenship: USA/JAM
Jonathan Dean
Position: Defender
Height: 5-8
Weight: 163
Born: May 15, 1997 in Macon, Ga.
Hometown: Macon, Ga.
Citizenship: USA
Austin Aviza
Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6-3
Weight: 195
Born: February 17, 1997 in Framingham, Mass.
Hometown: Medway, Mass.
Citizenship: USA
