MANILA, Philippines—Sedrick Barefield is showing why he’s a highly-touted prospect and Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso has been taking notice.

Barefield has been one of the few bright spots amid the Bossing’s 0-3 start in the PBA Governors’ Cup

“You see the talent and you see the skill but now it’s just being able to understand his teammates a little better and understand the system better on how he’d like to play,” said Cariaso after Blackwater’s blowout loss to San Miguel Beer on Sunday.

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“You could see it’s there. More time and experience together will really solve things.”

Against the Beermen, Barefield scored 16 points, highlighted by a pair of 3-pointers, and had five assists for the Bossing.

The 27-year-old guard has emerged as an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, averaging 16.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists through three games.

READ: PBA: Cariaso has high hopes for Blackwater rookie Sedrick Barefield

And while there’s still a lot of work to be done for Barefield, Cariaso is more than happy to have the services of the Filipino-American as a vital piece to Blackwater’s rebuild.

“We’re happy with Sed. He’s coming in with a great attitude, he’s very open, he’s easy to talk to. He’s working hard so it’s now really just acclimating his game to everyone else’s and vice versa.”

“If we get more games under our belt, he can only get better.