PUR - Barea ready to welcome Pitino to Puerto Rico set-up

DALLAS (FIBA Americas Championship) - Puerto Rico and Dallas Mavericks guard JJ Barea has given a thumbs-up to Rick Pitino coaching the national team at next year's FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata.

The 58-year-old Louisville coach has been in talks with the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation, who showed Manolo Cintron the door after the team's Preliminary Round exit at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

In the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Barea, who was speaking before the Mavs' NBA clash with Milwaukee, said: “It’ll be great."

Pitino is expected to meet with Barea, and Carlos Arroyo - a long time national team star who plays with the Heat - in Miami on Sunday before travelling to Puerto Rico to finalize the deal.

"He'll bring defense and discipline and I think guys will listen to him more than they listen to the guys in Puerto Rico just because he's Rick Pitino," Barea added in an interview with ESPN.com.

"I think that will help."

FIBA.com spoke to Puerto Rico Basketball Federation president Carlos Beltran earlier this week and he revealed that the country was set to bring in Pitino.

A successful coach at both the collegiate and NBA level, Pitino has led Providence College, the New York Knicks, the Kentucky Wildcats, the Boston Celtics and Louisville in his famous career.

If he takes the reins of Puerto Rico, he will attempt to guide the country into the London 2012 Olympics.

Another coach in the American college ranks has taken the international basketball world by storm the past three years.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has led Team USA to gold at the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

FIBA