Eriq Zavaleta, Sophomore, Forward, Indiana
Overview:
In his first year at Indiana University, Freshman Eriq Zavaleta started all 22 games and led the team and The Big Ten Conference with goals (10), points (25), and points per game (1.14). Zavaleta is no one man show either, getting five assists and countless passes, he knows how to use his teammates to get the win. Zavaleta was awarded Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week when IU defeated Dayton, then again with IU’s win over Michigan later in the season. Along with Big Ten Freshman of the year, All Big Ten First team, Big Ten All Freshman team, and multiple other first team honors throughout his freshman season, Zavaleta’s resume is already impressive going into his second season.
Zavaleta has already shown he can play, but he must continue his strong work and show that he can grow even more if he wishes to stay on top of the leader boards in the upcoming season. With the help of Zavaleta and his teammates, Head Coach Todd Yeagley has a good chance of bringing IU another top ten finish this season.
Final Projection:
With Zavaleta’s numerous awards and strong performance in the 2011 season, professional recruiters will already be watching him. If he continues to grow at the collegiate level and keeps up his strong work he will have no problem staying at the top of the draft picks.
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