A media basket mill utilizes a media bed having very small media to attain a mixture of finely divided solids in a liquid vehicle. A method and an improvement for deterring wear at a bearing construct in the media basket mill precludes the entry into a bearing interface between a bearing surface of the bearing construct and a component rotating within the bearing construct of the very small media employed in the media basket mill. A barrier is interposed between the media held in the basket of the mill and the bearing interface so as to isolate the bearing interface from media within the basket and thereby deter the entry of media into the bearing interface and concomitant wear at the bearing interface.