Arun Basuljevic, Midfielder, New York Red Bulls
Top 150 Ranking: 72
Class: 2014
Commitment: Georgetown

A lot is going right for Georgetown on and off the field this fall.

Along with the program’s tremendous record so far this season, the Hoyas recently picked up an early gem with the commitment of New York Red Bulls midfielder Arun Basuljevic.

The attacking midfielder is a standout performer for New York’s U18s, able to unlock defenses, control possession and dictate the tempo of a game.

“Coach [Brian] Wiese made me feel really wanted there,” Basuljevic told TopDrawerSoccer.com I know it’s a very, very good academic institution, and this year especially the soccer program’s been really good. To have that balance of getting a good degree and then having a chance to go pro from there was the best option for me. I loved the campus, I loved the city, Washington, D.C., relatively close to home.”

Wiese had a couple of advantages when it came to the chase for Basuljevic. Currently on the roster right now is former New York Academy striker Brandon Allen, who chatted up with Basuljevic. Add in his current teammate Alex Muyl, also committed to the Hoyas, along with other top recruits, gave Basuljevic more reasons to jump at the chance.

“The rookie class, the freshmen that they just brought in [for this season] is excellent and the recruiting class next year might be better,” he said. “So I knew that when I go there I know I’ll have great players around me, players that will push me to be better and help make me a contender year in and year out.”

While he’s not the first junior to make a commitment this early, Basuljevic is still a bit ahead of the game. But in his words “the opportunity that they gave me was really too good to pass up.”

Seo-in Kim, Midfielder, Sporting KC
Top 150 Ranking: 86
Class: 2013
Commitment: Duke

For Seo-In Kim, the chance to compete in one of college soccer’s best conferences was too good to pass up.

“I decided to commit to Duke because they compete in the ACC which will fit my competitive attitude,” Kim told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “Every game will be challenging and it'll push me to be better everyday.”

Coach John Kerr and the rest of the staff also played a significant role in helping lure the Sporting KC Academy midfielder to North Carolina.

“The coaches were the key aspect for me, they showed great interest in me and they took care of me when I went on a visit,” Kim said. “Also, their facilities were amazing, they just built a brand new training ground which blew me away.”

Kim had shared what his recruiting process had been like earlier this year.

Mauricio Salgado, Forward, Eclipse Select
Class: 2013
Commitment: Loyola-Chicago

The Loyola Ramblers had what Mauricio Salgado was looking for in a college. It was the right location. It had the right style of play. And the coaches definitely made him feel welcome.

So on Wednesday, Salgado gave Loyola what it wanted when he made his verbal commitment to the Horizon League squad.

“Definitely coach Stan [Anderson] played a part in getting me to commit to Loyola,” Salgado told TopDrawerSoccer.com. “I went on a couple of visits and I liked the location of it. It was closer to home than the other schools I was looking at.”

The attacking talent said Northern Illinois(m), Northern Kentucky(m), and a couple of others were also in the mix for his commitment.

The Ramblers ultimately won out and are looking forward to enjoying the contributions of the Round Lake High School star next fall.

Salgado said he has scored 29 goals this season in high school play while leading his team to the playoffs. Although he has been prolific in front of the net, he said he is a better assist-man.

“I check back for the ball and like to create chances. I try to set up goals.”

At the club level, Salgado led his Eclipse Select team to the US Club Nationals where they lost in the semifinals.

Salgado is the first reported commitment for the 2013 Loyola class.