Michael King had his pick of the litter. He’s a class club player whose stock has continued to rise over the past couple years.

Picked for the spring U.S. U17 Men’s National Team Residency roster, King is an athletic defender at 6-foot-2 who has shown maturation in his game.

College programs nationwide have taken notice, but King has zeroed his sights in on one, making a verbal commitment to SMU for the 2012 season.

“The final colleges that I chose from were Tulsa, North Carolina, Michigan, Wake Forest and SMU,” said King, the No. 29 ranked player in our Top 100. “I committed to SMU because they have had a good soccer program for the past couple years, it’s a good academic institution and is close to home.”

In other commitment news, Dakota Niedermeier (Olney BGC), ranked No. 54 in our Top 100, has verbally committed to Maryland for the 2012 season. A goalkeeper, Niedermeier is a free spirited and vocal communicator who plays angles well. He has been invited to U.S. National Camp on multiple occasions.

Sachem Wilson (Internationals SC) has verbally committed to Liberty for the 2012 season. Wilson is a 6-foot forward and solid goal-scoring threat. Other programs he considered include Notre Dame, Cornell, Lafayette, New Mexico and Xavier.

Derek Schrick (Sporting Kansas City) has committed to SMU for the 2012 season. Schrick, a midfielder, is the No. 12 ranked player in the Heartland Region.

Schrick is a team captain who is tied for the team lead in goals scored and has his squad in first place in Frontier Division.

Andy Anglade (Concorde Fire SC) has committed to Clemson for the 2012 season.

Jose Villegas (Miami FC Kendall) has signed with Florida Gulf Coast(m) for the 2011 season.

Jordan Cuckler (Tulsa SC) has verbally committed to Memphis for the 2012 season.

Benjamin LaCourse (Tulsa SC) has verbally committed to Tulsa for the 2012 season.