Cadavis set for CESAFI coaching debut with the USJ-R Jaguars

CEBU, Philippines — Time really flies.

For Julius Cadavis, it feels like yesterday when he was still playing for the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI).

Now, he finds himself at the helm of a college basketball team with a storied past in Cebu’s premiere inter-school athletic league.

And he’s up for the tough challenge that lies ahead of him.

Exuding much confidence, Cadavis said he is primed and ready for his coaching debut in the CESAFI with the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars.

“Paspas kaayo ang panahon. Ma-remember pa nako nga gaduwa ko for Ateneo (de Cebu) mura’g last year lang,” said the bull-strong forward from Tacloban City.

Before becoming a bench tactician, Cadavis was a three-time national champion with the Magis Eagles - one in the Milo BEST Tournament and twice in the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) where he was a back-to-back Most Outstanding Player awardee in 2010 and 2011. That earned him a spot in the elite list of NBTC’s 13 greatest players of all time in 2023 alongside the likes of Carl Tamayo, who went on to become part of the Gilas national team, and Fil-Am Jalen Green, now an NBA player with the Houston Rockets.

Cadavis also had stints with the University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors in the CESAFI back in 2017, the Arellano Chiefs where they reached the NCAA Finals two times in 2014 and 2016, and in Manny Pacquiao’s semi-pro Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) before entering the world of coaching last year.

The 29-year-old Cadavis swiftly made an impact in his rookie year as coach, steering his hometown team Khalifa to numerous titles in Eastern and Central Visayas, the latest of which was the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) U20 Visayas Championship 2024.

Cadavis embarks on a new journey as he calls the shots for the Jaguars in the forthcoming CESAFI Season 24 set to kick off on September 21 at the Cebu Coliseum.

“Nag team building mi sa Bacolod where we had a series of tune-up games. And I can say na we are almost there. With the support from our school, Fr. Glynn Ortega and Atty. Francis Tolibas of Team khalifa, ready na mi in time for the start of CESAFI,” said Cadavis.

As for his coaching philosophy, Cadavis has five core values that he wants his boys to apply, on and off the playing court.

“Communication, trust, collective responsibility, caring and pride. Kani na lima mura’g mga tudlo importante ni sila individually kay kung imo ikumo tanan gahi kaayo ni,” said Cadavis, who will be assisted by coach Luigi Bercede and well known skills trainers Jeff Codera,who is a member of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors training camp, and Jojo Romarate.

“Mao na nga ako gi-instill sa ila nga once mosulod na sila sa court, ihatag gyud nila ang ilang best. Ako sad sila gi-remind to do extra work kay mao raman na ang basketball, hard work lang. Excited ko na makita ang performance sa mga players nako sa among gihagoan,” he added.

They may be a young team who are still slowly adopting to their system but Cadavis has high hopes for the Jaguars in the upcoming CESAFI cage wars.

“We are a young team. Ga-adopt pa sa system ang mga bag-o sa team,” said Cadavis. “But expect us to show our tenacious defense and showcase our team chemistry.”

“Our main goal is to win it all, but we will take it one game at a time. Hinay-hinay lang makasud sa Final 4 and from there we will see unsay mahitabo,” Cadavis concluded. — (FREEMAN)