Cariaso pins hopes on Fil-Am rookie

Rookie Sedrick Barefield welcomes the challenge of living up to the huge expectations when Blackwater selected him as the second overall pick in the recent Philippine Basketball Association Season 49 Draft.

Hopes are high for the Bossing freshman to bring change to the team, which has struggled to make it deep in the league.

“The only expectation I try to focus on is what the team asks from me. And that is to win games each and every game,” Barefield said.

“That’s my main focus, going out there each night and being present to win games,” added Barefield, who played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Summer League in 2019 and Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G-League.

The arrival of the prolific-scoring Filipino-American, who has seen action all over the world including stints in Lithuania, Greece, Taiwan and even in Africa, excites head coach Jeff Cariaso.

“He’s what we asked for. What we expect and what you see in film. What you see in him in games is exactly what he’s showcasing. We’re happy to have him and we’re excited about what he could do in the PBA,” the mentor said of the winger who also suited up for the Bay Area Dragons last year.

According to Cariaso, Barefield has shown glimpses of his brilliance in Blackwater’s successful tune-up games.

“We drafted him at No. 2 with the expectation that he can contribute right away. So far that’s what we’re seeing that we think he will be able to. He will, definitely, have the opportunity. I think that’s how good he is,” he said.

Barefield, actually, tried to apply for the draft back in 2022 but was scratched off the list after failing to produce a hard copy of his Philippine passport.

“He’s been trying to join our league or the last couple of years. He’s been playing for good teams and in good places the last couple of years from the last time he tried to join the draft. Very competitive, loves the sport and I think he’s gonna be fun to watch for all our fans,” Cariaso added.

The Bossing hope to turn their fortune around after a disappointing outing last season.

Blackwater had a hot start in the season-ending Philippine Cup after winning its first three outings.