Jose Barea
From Hoopedia
José Juan Barea (born June 26, 1984 in Mayagüez) is a Puerto Rican professional basketball player. Barea is the seventh player from Puerto Rico to play in an NBA game. Professionally Barea has played in the NBA, NBDL, NCAA and the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico (BSN) with Mayaguez Indios and the Santurce Crabbers. He participated in the 2006 NBA Draft but was undrafted, he was subsecuently signed by the Dallas Mavericks following his participation in the NBA Vegas Summer League and became the seventh Puerto Rican to play in the NBA. He was a member of the 2006 Puerto Rican National Team that won the Gold Medal in the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games.
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College
Barea was a four-year letterman at Northeastern University from 2003-2006. In 2005 and 2006, as a junior and senior, he was named a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the nation's best point guard. Barea was selected to the All-American East First Team twice. Northeastern switched to the Colonial Athletic Association for his senior campaign and he earned All-CAA First Team honors. Barea finished his career as the school's second all-time leading scorer with 2,209 points behind Reggie Lewis. He also leaves Northeastern as its second all-time leader in assists with 721 and leader in three-point field goals made (255).
During his senior year (2005-06); Barea was named Honorable Mention All-America by The Associated Press. He was named Player of the Year in the CAA. NABC All-District 1 First Team selection. Named Mid-Major Player of the Year by CollegeInsider.com. Finished third in the country in assists (8.4 apg). He led Northeastern and finished 19th in the nation in scoring (21.0 ppg). Had 26 points and nine assists against California. Averaged 16.5 points and 7.0 assists in two games against eventual Final Four participant, George Mason. Scored a season-high 32 points, to go with 10 assists against Old Dominion.
During his junior year (2004-05); Barea ranked second in the America East and eighth in the country in scoring (22.2 ppg).[7] Led the conference and was fifth in the nation in assists (7.3 apg). Named an Honorable Mention All-America by Sports Illustrated.com. Recognized as an All-District 1 Second Team selection for the second year in a row by the NABC. Placed third in assists (218), fourth in three-pointers (68) and sixth in points (665) on Northeastern's single-season charts. Tied the school record with a career-high 41 points against Stony Brook.
During his sophomore year (2003-04); Barea led the team and was second in the conference in scoring (20.7 ppg) and assists (5.8 apg). Became the first Husky since Reggie Lewis in 1986-87 to average at least twenty points. Recorded double-double with nineteen points and ten assists in a 91-84 win over West Virginia.
During his freshman year (2002-03); Barea led the team and was third in America East in scoring (17.0 ppg). He was selected to the America East All-Rookie Team, All-Tournament Team and All-Conference Third Team. First Husky freshman to record 400 points and 100 assists in a season. Led NU with a team-high twenty-five double-figure scoring games.
Post-College
In April 2006 Barea had a stellar participation at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Virginia, finishing with averages of fifteen points, 13.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game while committing five turnovers in three contests. Barea broke the single game and tournament assist records, dishing out 18 assists in a 118-100 victory, giving him 41 assists in three games. For his efforts, Barea was awarded the Allen Iverson Award for inspiration and effort in the competition.
Professional Career
Baloncesto Superior Nacional
Barea started is professional career at the age of 17 playing in the National Superior Basketball League of Puerto Rico (BSN) with the Mayaguez Indios in 2001. He played in 13 games averging 2.1 PPG. In 2002 he returned with the Mayaguez Indios playing in 14 games and averaging 2.8 PPG. After a three year absence Barea returned in 2006 to play for the Santurce Crabbers playing in 9 games averaging 10.4 PPG, 2.7 APG, and 2.8 RPG.
National Basketball Association
Following the conclusion of his NCAA career he was described as a gifted rebounder for his size, a good passer, and a flexible shooter by scouts. Barea decided to enter his name in the 2006 NBA draft along former teammate Guillermo Diaz. He went undrafted and proceeded to play in the league's offseason tournament to gain a contract as a free agent. During the summer Barea participated with the Golden State Warriors during the Vegas Summer League. He also participated with the Dallas Mavericks in the Rocky Mountain Revue, where he averaged 12.0 points, 6.7 assists, 1.7 rebounds in 25.0 minutes in three contests.
On October 30, 2006 Barea received a official spot on the roster of the Dallas Mavericks for the 2006-07 season. He enjoyed a successful preseason with the team, which prompted the Mavericks to give him a guaranteed $400,000 contract for one year. He debuted on November 4, 2006 as the team's second backup point guard. Barea made his first career three point basket against the Golden State Warriors on March 12, 2007. And on March 14, 2007 he scored his first career block against Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns. Near the end of the regular season his game minutes were more numerous. On April 11, 2007 he played aganist the Minnesota Timberwolves in a game where in twenty three minutes he scored a career high thirteen points as well as three assists and collected three rebounds. The following game against the Utah Jazz he played twenty four minutes and broke his previous career high scoring sixteen points. On April 17, 2007 Barea started his first NBA game against the Golden State Warriors. He played a career high thirty-one minutes scoring thirteen points and recorded ten rebounds registering his first career Double-Double.
NBA Development League
On January 17 2007, Barea was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers of the NBA Development League (NBDL). He played seven games in the league before being reclaimed by the Dallas Mavericks. Barea topped 40 points in two different games while leading the Flyers to a 3-1 record. Barea had the top scoring performance of the D-League season at the moment with 43 points on eighteen out of twenty-four shooting in a loss to Idaho on Thursday night. The Mavericks assignee reached 40 points for the second time with 41 on 16 out of 23 shooting in Sunday's win over the Dakota Wizards. Barea recorded double-doubles in his other two games last week, scoring 17 points with 10 assists on Wednesday in a win over Idaho, and 25 points with 11 assists in Saturday's win over Dakota. As a result of his performance he was selected as the D-League Performer of the Week on January 29, 2007. Barea's averages for that week were 31.5 points, 7.5 assists and 6.0 rebounds in four games. He shot .549 (45 out of 82) from the field. Barea is the first NBA-assigned player to be named D-League Performer of the Week.
International Career
Barea began his international career with the Under-19 division of the Puerto Rican national team, and participated in the Under-19 World Championship where he finished tied in third place in the votation to select the tournament's Most Valuable Player. His next international participation took place in Caguas, Puerto Rico in the Under-21 Centro Basket tournament where Puerto Rico won the gold medal, he was awarded the competition's Most Valuable Player recognition after leading the tournament in scoring, assists and steals. His last participation in the Under-21 division took place in the Under-21 World Championships where he finished fourth in scoring with an average of 17.6 points per game and led the competition in assists with 7.3 per game, in a tournament where Puerto Rico finished in the seventh possition.
In July 2006, Barea debuted in the adult version of the Puerto Rican National Basketball Team in the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games where Puerto Rico won the gold medal. Here he scored a decissive three point basket with fourteen seconds left in the championship game against Panama, giving Puerto Rico a final advantage. In this tournament Puerto Rico finished undefeated with six straight victories. He was selected as the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
While Barea has played in the Puerto Rican National Team, he is the process of obtaining Spanish citizenship, "because of family ties" according to Spain's Sport Press.
