GEORGE King and Sedrick Barefield formed a 1-2 punch of Blackwater last conference that they will try to reprise for the Bossing come the PBA 49th Season Commissioner’s Cup.
Hopefully, the partnership will lead to a playoff appearance this time.
If it looked like the two are familiar with each other's game during the Governors’ Cup, it was because they are. King played for Colorado from 2013 to 2018, and their college careers intertwined in the Pac-10 Conference with Barefield representing Utah from 2016 to 2019.
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“He’s been great,” said Barefield of King. “Coming in, I knew him from college. We played against each other, crosstown rivals, Utah and Colorado.”
The 30-year-old King took the PBA by storm during his first foray in the league as he averaged 40.29 points, 13.14 rebounds, and 4.71 assists in seven games with the Bossing.
The same can be said of the 27-year-old Barefield, who in his rookie conference posted averages of 18.9 points and 4.2 assists, while providing a memorable moment during the Governors’ Cup when he gestured ‘night night’ during Blackwater’s win over Barangay Ginebra in the elimination round.
“We played against each other in college,” said King, who is 6-foot-6. “It’s a very, very prominent league in college, draft picks that come out in that league. Sed was right there in that league.”
King recalled that he knew Barefield even way back when the now-second overall pick in the PBA 49th Season draft was still with Southern Methodist University (SMU), a school that also plays in NCAA Division 1 but is in the American Athletic Conference.
“Sed was a problem for us. In fact, I knew I’ve said before he even got to Utah back in 2015 because of a mutual friend that he and I have. But Sedrick, I know he’s got Filipino descent. But game-wise, he is just as good as any import here,” said King.
Barefield, at 6-2, also had a good first impression with King from the first time he saw him play back in college, and his persona and attitude haven’t changed over the years.
“I knew he was an ultimate professional. I knew he can shoot the ball, play multiple positions, and it comes with that attitude, that professionalism that you want from a guy,” said Barefield.
“He has been nothing short of spectacular for us. He’s been carrying us,” Barefield added.
King said having a player that could play like an import in Barefield is a huge thing for Blackwater moving forward to its campaign in the coming conference, especially with his ability to be a clutch player for the Bossing.
More importantly, King said the presence of Barefield helped him in the adjustment phase after he joined the team during the fourth game of the Governors’ Cup to replace Ricky Ledo.
“That’s a luxury that we have,” King said. “Sed is very capable of closing out games, go getting a bucket. I’m just really happy, one, to have a familiar face in the team, but also someone that can go get his.”
And while No. 1 pick Justine Baltazar hasn’t played a single game in the PBA, King already made up his mind that the best rookie in this class goes to his teammate.
“I don’t know who the No. 1 pick was. But I’ll be hard-pressed to believe that that person is actually better than Sedrick Barefield,” King said.
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