After years of waiting for his chance, Sedrick Barefield is finally seeing his Gilas Pilipinas dream become a reality, earning a spot on the national team roster for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
With his long-awaited opportunity finally here, Barefield plans to savor every moment, embracing the experience of representing the Philippines while learning as much as he can along the way.
“It’s a dream come true. I mean, you know, it’s something that, you know, as I’ve said before, I’ve thought about since I was a kid, since I was young,” said Barefield, who is ineligible to represent the country in FIBA competitions.
“Back in June, I didn’t know how it was going to play out. I thought it was kind of all just rumors. So for it to materialize now, you know, just trying to live in the moment, not let any moments pass me by and just, you know, soak it all in.”
It was a well-deserved call-up for Barefield, who has been making his case with Blackwater in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup, averaging 19.17 points, 2.83 assists, and 2.83 rebounds per game.
Barefield, however, will have to carve out his role in a stacked guard rotation that also features Robert Bolick, RJ Abarrientos, Adrian Nocum, and Jerrick Ahanmisi.
Rather than worry about his minutes or role, the 29-year-old guard is focused on one thing: doing whatever it takes to help Gilas Pilipinas win.
(C) PBA Images
“Yeah, I mean, it’s no secret that this team has a lot of talent. We’re deep at the guard spot. We’re deep at the big spot,” said the 29-year-old guard, who previously played in the G League.
“I think, for me, just doing whatever I can to impact winning, whether that’s playing defense, trying to get extra possessions, just make winning plays and just play within myself.”
Barefield also knows that Gilas Pilipinas’ title-retention bid will be anything but easy, with the competition expected to be tougher this time around.
Still, he believes the team’s preparation, shared mindset, and willingness to do whatever it takes can put them in position to defend the crown.
“You know, it’s not easy, but, you know, it’s what needs to be done for us to just gel and just have, you know, the right camaraderie,” said Barefield. “So, you know, it’s easy playing with good players. So everyone here is talented and can go. So I’m excited to get out there with them.”
Now making his first foray into international competition, Barefield is fortunate to have a familiar guide in Blackwater head coach and former Gilas Pilipinas Women tactician Patrick Aquino, who knows a thing or two about navigating the demands of international basketball.
“I mean, he really just said to go out there and work hard, show that I belong, compete. His advice to me was really just to embrace the moment. Embrace being able to be out there with these guys, represent the country,” the product of Division I program Utah said.
“So, you know, I know Pat [Aquino] has a lot of experience. And, you know, I just value his advice. So, it was good to hear that from him.”
