Photo by Sports on Film
Last January, Ike Opara sat in a college classroom with his laptop cracked open as he took a peak at what could have been his future. He was supposed to be focusing on his Debate class, but was instead tuned into the 2009 MLS Draft. Opara watched intently on the internet as it unfolded, seeing two college teammates taken in the first round and knowing that if he had declared for the draft he would have been one of the first players chosen.
Aside from that day, Opara didn’t spend too much time dwelling on what might have been. He made his decision to return to Wake Forest for the 2009 season, his junior season, and he readily admits that the team’s surprising losses in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments last year after going undefeated during the regular season last year served as motivation for him to hold off turning pro another year.
“Going out on that sour note hurt a lot so coming back that was a big thing we wanted to focus on, making sure that at the end of the year we could repeat what we did in ‘07,” said Opara, referring to Wake Forest’s 2007 NCAA title. Opara and the Demon Deacons begin their post-season play in the quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament today in Cary, North Carolina. Wake Forest takes on Clemson in its first match.
“We’ve been building up for this all year,” Opara said of the post-season. “Especially the ACC Tournament, and the way we went out last year, it definitely stuck in our minds. That‘s the one big one we want to win.
“Hopefully we can do well there and take that into the NCAA Tournament and have a run there too.”
Opara has enjoyed another stellar season for the Deamon Deacons. His third year as a starter brought him an ACC Defender of the Year honors. He has enjoyed his junior year and has had no second thoughts about his decision to stay in school and pass up a chance to be a high first-round pick.
‘It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, following which college I wanted to attend,” Opara said of the decision to stay in school. “I knew where people were projecting me, and where I might have ended up, but I just didn’t feel right with the timing and ended up coming back.
“I don’t regret it,” Opara said. “I’m still having fun and hopefully I’m still getting better as a player.”
The year hasn’t been all sunshine for the 20-year-old center back. He endured a disappointing performance at the Under-20 World Cup with the U.S. Under-20 national team, one of several Americans to struggle.
“I didn’t think I played to my best,” Opara said. “I know I could have done better, and that hurts me a little bit, but you just have to move on as a player and build from those moments.”
“I wasn’t really nervous,” Opara said of his Under-20 World Cup experience. “It was difficult to get into the rhythm of the team and we were a little off at times so it definitely hurt us individually. I don’t think anybody showed as well as they wanted to, and it’s funny because going into the tournament we played so well.”
Since returning from the tournament in Egypt, Opara has resumed his role as Wake Forest’s defensive captain and believes that the extra year in school has helped strengthen his communication skills as one of the leaders on a young team.
“Last year we had eleven guys who were on pace to play in the pro ranks,” Opara said. “Now we have a lot more younger guys who could wind up playing in the pro ranks, but who are so young and inexperienced that you have to lead them in a different way.”
One can only wonder what Opara would have been able to do in MLS this year had he come out last winter, but it is a safe bet that he could have had an impact similar to the impacts made by several of the players in what is widely regarded as one of the strongest draft classes in league history. Opara has watched MLS rookies shine, and has grown excited about his own pro prospects even though he has yet to decide if he’s turning pro.
“I’ve seen it, especially with (Steve) Zakuani, Omar Gonzalez, Sam Cronin and what they’ve been doing this year,” Opara said. “It’s definitely exciting to see that those guys can step in right away and do well and perform at a high level.
“It definitely gets you excited that it could be you in the coming year or so,” Opara said. “That’s something I definitely look forward to, whenever that happens.”
Opara still hasn’t committed to making this his final season at Wake Forest, but he is once again one of the top potential draft candidates. He’s unquestionably the best defensive prospect who could potentially be available in the draft, and would be a very tempting option for expansion club Philadelphia Union with the first pick in the 2010 MLS Draft.
Opara isn’t ruling out a move to Europe, much like the move made by former Wake Forest teammate Marcus Tracy, who passed on an MLS contract offer to sign with Danish club Aalborg.
“There’s a lot of things that play into it and it’s definitely going to be a hard decision whenever it happens again, which may be pretty soon,” Opara said of his decision to turn pro. “I’m trying to maximize my options, whether it be in MLS or in Europe.
“Last year I had a couple of options, but not enough to make me make a rushed decision.”
A year later, Opara finds himself in a similar situation. He’s still a highly-regarded pro prospect who has some college silverware to try and help his team win. The pros can wait, and while he won’t admit it yet, it is tough to imagine him returning to Wake Forest in 2010, especially not If he succeeds in helping the Deamon Deacons regain their ACC and NCAA titles this fall.
If Opara can accomplish those goals, chances are he won’t be watching the 2010 MLS Draft on his laptop in a college classroom, but rather from a podium alongside MLS commissioner Don Garber, with a new hat and scarf to show off.
