In the 2015 MLS SUUUUUUUPERDraft, the Vancouver Whitecaps selected, I kid you not, a guy from Hicksville and a Banjo for him to play with. The Caps came into the draft looking to shore up their depth in a couple of key areas, and appear to have ticked all their boxes by selecting Tim Parker from Hicksville, NY via St John’s University, and Kay Banjo from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.

Yesterday, the Whitecaps signalled that centre back would be a point of emphasis at the draft by saying goodbye to fan favourite and all-around good guy Andy O’Brien and saying that they were still a long way apart in their contract negotiations with Johnny Leverón. Though the club did sign Uruguayan defender Diego Rodriguez, that left them with only three CBs on the roster, instead of the desired five.

Parker, Vancouver’s first-round selection at 13th overall, is regarded as a guy who could step into an MLS club right away. He comes to the Whitecaps having captained the 2014 Red Storm and featuring regularly on a St. John’s side that appeared in the NCAA Tournament three out of his four years at the school. At 6’2″, 195 lbs, he’ll fit right in with the imposing Caps centre back corps. He’s actually now the smallest CB currently under contract for 2014, but still a solidly built human being. He can reportedly read the game well and provides another aerial set piece threat.

Coach Carl Robinson also said he was looking for a player who could help out on the left wing. To that end, the Whitecaps used their second-round draft pick to select Kay Banjo, a speedy striker who can also play on the left side. Banjo led the University of Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers to their first national semifinal appearance in 2014. Though the America East Conference in which UMBC plays is not a particularly strong one — featuring such noted powerhouses as the Stony Brook University Seawolves and the University of Vermont Catamounts — Banjo was named its 2014 striker of the year with 8 goals and 6 assists in his 22 appearances. Like most second-round MLS draft picks, Banjo should probably not be looked at as a guy who can come in and do damage immediately. Rather, expect him to feature primarily for WFC2 in 2015.

Rounds three and four of the draft will be completed by conference call on January 20th, 2014. Pucked in the Head will probably not be providing an update those rounds of the draft because nobody really cares. Seriously, they’re having a conference call. They don’t even give the kids a scarf and a photo op.