Former Marquette University point guard and National Basketball League of Canada champion Junior Cadougan has signed with the Fraser Valley Bandits.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League club made it official on Wednesday (March 25), and the Toronto native is set to join the team for the 2020 season.
Cadougan represented Canada at the 2006 FIBA Under 18 Americas Championship, averaging 16.8 points per game on that stage as a 16-year-old. He went on to play four seasons at Milwaukee’s Marquette University, averaging 5.6 points, 3.7 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
He received the All-Big East Sportsmanship Award in his senior season and capped off his NCAA tenure by helping lead Marquette to the Elite 8 at the 2013 March Madness NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. His solid college career earned him an invitation to NBA Summer League later that year in Las Vegas where he suited up for the Milwaukee Bucks.
“I would like to thank Coach [Kyle] Julius and the Bandits organization for the opportunity to play and compete for a passionate fan base,” he stated in a press release. “I look forward to bringing leadership and playmaking to the team and being part of a group that is committed to supporting the community and building a winning culture. Coach Julius believes in a tough and gritty style of play on both ends of the floor and I am keen to lead by example with the Bandits.”
Following the end of his college career, Cadougan played internationally in Georgia, Italy and Greece. He also played two seasons apiece with the NBLC’s London Lightning and St. John’s Edge. He helped the Lightning win the league championship in 2017 with Julius as that team’s coach. Cadougan averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds on 46.7 per cent shooting from the field in 2018-19 on his way to being named an NBLC first team All-Canadian and second-team All-NBLC, as well as the league’s Most Improved Player.
“Junior is toughness personified,” Julius stated in a press release. “Junior is a winner and a fantastic two-way player. Our toughness and togetherness will be heightened because of Junior and his approach to the game. We have an awesome history together and I can’t wait to work with Junior again.”
Visit thebandits.ca for more on the team.