Ironically, experience doesn’t appear to be on Barrett’s side.
It’s not his age that is hampering the veteran guard, who began calling Mississauga home three years ago, it’s the lack of time.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Barrett has only been training with the Canadian team for the past nine days, hardly enough time to run a well oiled team as it attempts to earn a berth at the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
Yet Barrett will have to rely on four exhibition games, concluding with two matches at Toronto’s Rico Coliseum this Friday and Saturday against Lebanon and New Zealand to prepare.
Barrett has represented Canada internationally in 115 games, but hasn’t played for the national team for the past five years.
In limited time, Barrett is trying to learn the set plays so that he knows, where, “do you want me to be, where do you want me to go?,” during critical times including the end of a game, end of the shot clock and the end of quarters.
Canada will be in tough when the players arrive in Athens for the tournament running from July 14-20.
Only three of the 12 teams will win the right to continue playing in Beijing.
And with such talented teams as Greece, Germany, Croatia, Brazil and Puerto Rico also vying for wins, Canada will be up against it.
Canada takes on South Korea and Slovenia in its pool, with the winner likely meeting Croatia or Puerto Rico in the quarter-finals.
dwiner@mississauga.net
