Mark Barroca has always known his role. He doesn’t need the spotlight. He just needs the ball in his hands, his teammates in the right spots, and a game plan to execute.
That quiet, steady brilliance was enough to earn him the PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award for the period May 5–10.
Barroca averaged 11.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as Magnolia closed out the PBA 50th Season Commissioner’s Cup eliminations with a sizzling run—and the veteran floor general was at the center of it all.
Barroca Leads Magnolia to Two Huge Wins
His finest hour came in Magnolia’s 106-94 demolition of the TNT Tropang 5G, where Barroca finished with 15 points and 12 assists. Much of that production came in the form of facilitating import Clint Chapman, who erupted for 42 points in the win. Barroca found him early, found him often, and found him in the right spots—the kind of unglamorous brilliance that doesn’t always show up in the highlight reel but always shows up in the final score.
He wasn’t done. The grizzled veteran bookended the eliminations with 8 points and 3 assists against the Meralco Bolts, doing what veterans do: showing up when it matters.
All About Team for Mark Andy
Barroca, of course, deflected the credit.
“Lahat kami, hindi lang ako. May game plan kami. Marami kaming schemes kasi TNT talented team, bawat player may scheme kami. Kailangan naming mag-focus talaga,” said the former FEU Tamaraw
That’s vintage Barroca. The award is his. The credit, as far as he’s concerned, is everyone else’s.
He edged out Robert Bolick of the NLEX Road Warriors, teammate Zavier Lucero, Jericho Cruz of the San Miguel Beerment, and Christian Manaytay of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters for the weekly citation given by reporters on the PBA beat.
