WLA draft: ’Rocks eye new King?

Will coveted Marshal King fall to the hometown Victoria Shamrocks at No. 6 in tonight’s 2019 Western Lacrosse Association draft to be held in Langley?

His brother, Jesse King, did just that in that exact position in 2014. Jesse King went on to have a standout NCAA field-lacrosse career in the Big Ten with the Ohio State Buckeyes, and in the pro NLL with the Georgia Swarm and now Calgary Roughnecks, and is a Shamrocks star and one of the best players in the WLA.

The overwhelming consensus No. 1 pick tonight is franchise goaltender Chris Del Bianco, already an NLL pro with Calgary, who is expected to go first overall to his hometown Coquitlam Adanacs.

The best forwards on the board are thought to be scoring-threat Marshal King out of the Junior Shamrocks and NCAA Div. 1 Drexel, and all-around, two-way player Ryland Rees out of NCAA Stony Brook, who spent his junior box career with the Delta Islanders before a tradedeadline deal last season sent him to the powerhouse Coquitlam Junior Adanacs. Although only a junior and collegian, Rees was called up and won silver with Canada at the 2018 world field lacrosse championship last summer in Israel.

Based on last year’s finish in the WLA regular season, the Adanacs will pick first, Burnaby Lakers second, Langley Thunder third, Maple Ridge Burrards fourth, Nanaimo Timbermen fifth, Shamrocks sixth and New Westminster Salmonbellies seventh.

Marshal King is regarded as the graduating Junior Shamrocks player with the most value. Other Junior Shamrocks highly touted for the WLA draft include Brad McCulley, also in NCAA Div. 1 with Robert Morris, and 2018 B.C. Junior A Lacrosse League scoring champion Braylon Lumb, also in NCAA with the University of the District of Columbia.

“It’s a decent year, especially for graduating Island juniors,” said WLA Shamrocks GM Chris Welch.

“Overall, there are a solid two rounds this year, with those taken in the first two rounds probably able to step in and play right away in the WLA. It gets a little thin from the third round on, but there are always eventual surprises that come out of the later rounds.”

Welch said the Shamrocks seldom draft for need and usually take the best player available.

“There are so many variables at this time of year [while the roster is being formed], that it’s hard to judge need, so we look for the best player we feel is on the board when we pick,” said Welch.

Welch did not rule out moving up in the draft, perhaps to nab King, but warned that does not come cheap.

“We’ll explore our options but the price is always high to move up,” he said.