UK Men’s Soccer’s Alex Bumpus Drafted by NYCFC

PHILADELPHIA – New York City Football Club selected Kentucky men’s soccer alumnus Alex Bumpus with the sixth pick of the third round in the 2018 Major League Soccer Superdraft on Sunday.

He was the 52nd overall pick.

Bumpus’ Superdraft selection marked the second year in a row a Wildcat was drafted. A year ago, Napo Matsoso was selected ninth in the second round, 31st overall, by the New England Revolution.
 
Bumpus was invited to the MLS Combine earlier this month, marking the third year in a row a Wildcat was selected to participate in the scouting opportunity held each year a week or so before the MLS SuperDraft.

He impressed among a group of 65 NCAA Division I standouts at the combine.
 
Kentucky sent at least one Wildcats to the MLS Combine three years in a row. Callum Irving took part in the combine in 2015, while Matsoso and Jordan Wilson participated last year.
 
A four-year starter, Bumpus was a key player in UK’s run to the 2015 Conference USA regular-season title and 2016 run to the program’s first national top-16-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Bumpus captained Kentucky in 2017, and was named All-Southeast Region by United Soccer Coaches for the second year in a row. He was named to the third team last season.
 
The athletic starting center back played a key role in all seven of UK’s shutouts in 2017, a C-USA best. The UK defense led the league in regular-season goals-against average (.89).
 
Bumpus was on the C-USA first team.

–
For the best coverage of UK men’s soccer follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in addition to on UKathletics.com.