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Barefield named Top 100 Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistant by Silver Waves Media
1/8/2026 2:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball
FRESNO, Calif. – Fresno State men's basketball assistant coach Ray Barefield has been selected to the 2026 Top 100 Most Impactful Mid-Major Assistants list by Silver Waves Media.
Established in 2020, Silver Waves Media is dedicated to helping sports professionals and athletes advance their careers to the next stage.
Ray Barefield returned to his hometown and joined Fresno State's men's basketball program as an assistant coach in April 2024, where he played a vital role in recruiting two Mountain West Freshmen of the Week honorees in Brian Amukeke and Elijah Price.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Barefield was invited to the prestigious NXT Up Rising Star Power Lunch, presented by Silver Waves Media Final 4 Weekend.
In 11 seasons at the helm of the Rancho Christian, Barefield turned the program into a power not just in California but nationally, regularly testing his teams against the best programs across the country. Barefield amassed 249 wins, advanced in the state playoffs in each season, and has reached three championship games, winning two. His most recent championship, in 2023 (CIF-SS Division 2), resulted in four players earning Division I scholarships.
When Barefield took over the reins at Rancho Christian, it ranked 15,934th on MaxPreps and rose to as high as No. 1 in California and No. 5 in the country during his tenure.
Under his tutelage, brothers Evan and Isaiah Mobley were named McDonald's All-Americans, ranking No. 1 and No. 12 in their classes. Evan was named the Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year in 2020. He was also just one of three players to ever be selected as a two-time California Gatorade Player of the Year before attending USC. The two are currently with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Evan was selected No. 3 in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Also under his guidance during his tenure are current college players Rodney Brown Jr. (Cal/Virginia Tech), Kevin Patton Jr. (San Diego/USC) and Dominic Harris (Gonzaga/LMU/UCLA). Brian Amuneke joined that list in the fall of 2024. The Ivy League Player of the Year for Barefield at Rancho Christian in 2024 chose to move to Fresno State with the coach he spent the last three years working with.
Barefield was also instrumental in the skill development of his son, Sedrick. The CIF All-State selection went on to play at SMU and Utah, where he earned Pac-12 First Team and NABC All-District First Team honors before playing both internationally and with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder's G-League affiliate.
Prior to taking over at Rancho Christian, Barefield started a year-round developmental program, working with some of the country's elite youth basketball programs.
Barefield played at San Diego State before playing professionally overseas. He returns to Fresno, where he starred at Hoover High School and was recently inducted into the school's Hall of Fame (2023).
Barefield is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), a professional development and advocacy organization serving over 5,000 members in collegiate, scholastic, and youth basketball, and actively participates in community events.
Established in 2020, Silver Waves Media is dedicated to helping sports professionals and athletes advance their careers to the next stage.
Ray Barefield returned to his hometown and joined Fresno State's men's basketball program as an assistant coach in April 2024, where he played a vital role in recruiting two Mountain West Freshmen of the Week honorees in Brian Amukeke and Elijah Price.
At the conclusion of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Barefield was invited to the prestigious NXT Up Rising Star Power Lunch, presented by Silver Waves Media Final 4 Weekend.
In 11 seasons at the helm of the Rancho Christian, Barefield turned the program into a power not just in California but nationally, regularly testing his teams against the best programs across the country. Barefield amassed 249 wins, advanced in the state playoffs in each season, and has reached three championship games, winning two. His most recent championship, in 2023 (CIF-SS Division 2), resulted in four players earning Division I scholarships.
When Barefield took over the reins at Rancho Christian, it ranked 15,934th on MaxPreps and rose to as high as No. 1 in California and No. 5 in the country during his tenure.
Under his tutelage, brothers Evan and Isaiah Mobley were named McDonald's All-Americans, ranking No. 1 and No. 12 in their classes. Evan was named the Morgan Wooten National Player of the Year in 2020. He was also just one of three players to ever be selected as a two-time California Gatorade Player of the Year before attending USC. The two are currently with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where Evan was selected No. 3 in the 2021 NBA Draft.
Also under his guidance during his tenure are current college players Rodney Brown Jr. (Cal/Virginia Tech), Kevin Patton Jr. (San Diego/USC) and Dominic Harris (Gonzaga/LMU/UCLA). Brian Amuneke joined that list in the fall of 2024. The Ivy League Player of the Year for Barefield at Rancho Christian in 2024 chose to move to Fresno State with the coach he spent the last three years working with.
Barefield was also instrumental in the skill development of his son, Sedrick. The CIF All-State selection went on to play at SMU and Utah, where he earned Pac-12 First Team and NABC All-District First Team honors before playing both internationally and with the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder's G-League affiliate.
Prior to taking over at Rancho Christian, Barefield started a year-round developmental program, working with some of the country's elite youth basketball programs.
Barefield played at San Diego State before playing professionally overseas. He returns to Fresno, where he starred at Hoover High School and was recently inducted into the school's Hall of Fame (2023).
Barefield is also a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), a professional development and advocacy organization serving over 5,000 members in collegiate, scholastic, and youth basketball, and actively participates in community events.
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Thursday, November 21