Fil-Am Sedrick Barefield joins Bay Area Dragons

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-American basketball standout Sedrick Barefield has signed a contract with the Bay Area Dragons, the team announced on Tuesday, February 7.

Barefield will play for the Dragons as their Asian heritage player in the upcoming East Asia Super League (EASL) Champions’ Week to be held in Japan, where eight of the best basketball clubs from Asia will compete in the first week of March.

Sources said the partnership between the 26-year-old Barefield and Bay Area could grow long-term following the Champions’ Week tournament.

The Corona, California native will join the Dragons’ training sessions in Manila following his stint with Strong Group in the recently concluded Dubai International Basketball Championship. He was a key contributor in the team’s guard rotation.

Joining the Dragons in the EASL tourney will be PBA Philippine Cup champion San Miguel and runner-up TNT, P. League+ champion Taipei Fubon Braves, 2022 B. League champion Utsunomiya Brex and runner-up Ryukyu Golden Kings, and 2022 KBL champion Seoul SK Knights and runner-up Anyang KGC.

Aside from the players of San Miguel and TNT, Filipino talents such as Carl Tamayo (Ryukyu) and Rhenz Abando (Anyang KGC) will also have the chance to display their potential in the international basketball competition.

Barefield previously signed with Taipei Fubon before being loaned to Tainan TSG in the T1 League and subsequently cut.

The former Utah Utes standout averaged 16.8 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game as a college senior, making it to the list of All-Pac 12 players in NCAA Division I basketball in the United States.

Barefield went unselected in the 2019 NBA Draft but then had two stints with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G-League.

Born to a Filipina mother, Barefield got his Philippine passport in 2022. – Rappler.com