PLAYER PROFILE

Professional career Barroca, along with 33 other rookies led by Smart Gilas teammates JVee Casio, Chris Lutz, Marcio Lassiter, Mac Baracael, Jason Ballesteros, and Dylan Ababou applied for the 2011 PBA draft. On draft day, he was taken 5th overall by the Shopinas.com Clickers, who immediately dealt him to the B-Meg Llamados in a three-team trade that also involved the Llamados' Don Allado and fellow rookie draftee Brian Ilad, and the Barako Bull's Elmer Espiritu. During his rookie season, he did not spend a lot of time on the floor with guards like Roger Yap, Josh Urbiztondo, and Jonas Villanueva all leading the Llamados. Averaging just 17 minutes per game, he was learning from the likes of Johnny Abarrientos and Olsen Racela, now serving as Tim Cone's assistant coaches who are both considered among the greatest backcourt generals in the PBA. He claimed his first PBA championship with the Denzel Bowles-powered B-Meg during the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup. Tides would change however, those three veteran point guards exited. Yap was released, then Urbiztondo and Villanueva were dealt to Barako Bull. That paved the way for Barroca to earn the starting point guard spot in his sophomore season. As the main playmaker of the team, he led the Llamados (now playing as San Mig Coffee Mixers) to win the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup at the expense of the Petron Blaze Boosters. Barroca played close to 34 minutes of average per game in the 2013–14 PBA Philippine Cup and evolved into a clutch player down the stretch. He led the Mixers to their 11th championship by winning the 2013–14 PBA Philippine Cup, at the expense of Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Because of his efforts, he was awarded as the PBA Press Corps-Papa John's Pizza Finals MVP. During the 2014 PBA All-Star Weekend, he added another highlight to his breakout year by winning the Obstacle Challenge, dethroning fellow FEU alumnus and Air21 point guard Jonas Villanueva.