With the first pick of the fourth round and 67th overall of the MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday afternoon Minnesota United selected midfielder and IU grad Tanner Thompson.
According to IU, Thompson was the 45th Hoosier to be drafted in the MLS SuperDraft since the league came to be in 1996. The Loomis, California, native played four seasons in Bloomington, was named an All-American and led the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament every season.
Thompson was named to the first-team All-Big Ten team in each of the past three seasons and earned the Big Ten midfielder of the year award in the past two seasons. He ended his career with 18 goals and 19 assists in 83 total games played. In his final season Thompson had a team-high eight goals to go along with two assists.
Thompson is only the eighth player in IU history to receive three All-America honors in one season. He is the first since Pat Noonan did so in 2002.
The recent IU grad will be joining another. Minnesota United selected 2015 graduate Femi Hollinger-Janzen from the New England Revolution in the MLS expansion draft. Minnesota United will be participating in MLS for the first time in the upcoming 2017 season.
Thompson pulled the strings in the center of the pitch for IU and grew to become a leader for the Hoosiers as he progressed in his time in Bloomington. He came to IU in 2013 with his brother, Tommy, who left after one season and is now also in the MLS as a part of the San Jose Earthquakes organization.
Josh Eastern
