Just over a decade ago, UCAM Murcia CB was a club accustomed to fighting for survival every season in the elite tier of Spanish basketball. Its continuity in the Liga Endesa was frequently jeopardized by sporting and financial uncertainty. Today, reality is vastly different. The team goes toe-to-toe with basketball powerhouses in the world's second-best league, has consolidated a benchmark sporting structure, and has just wrapped up the greatest season in its history.

Behind this transformation stands the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), which took on the challenge of driving a project capable of turning the city's historic club into a competitive, stable, and internationally projected entity. The results of the 2025-26 season are the ultimate proof of this: 25 wins and 9 losses in the Liga Endesa regular season, a fourth-place finish, their first-ever qualification for the playoffs as a seeded team, and a brilliant European run in the FIBA Europe Cup, where they reached the semifinals with an outstanding record of 14 wins and only 2 losses.

Within this unforgettable campaign, two names symbolize the international dimension achieved by the university project—led by María Dolores García in the presidency, Alejandro Gómez and José Miguel Garrido in the front office, and Sito Alonso on the bench: players David DeJulius and Devontae Cacok.

David DeJulius: From Journeyman Prospect to Liga Endesa Star 

David DeJulius's career before arriving in Murcia was marked by a constant search for a place to establish himself. Developed at the American universities of Michigan and Cincinnati, the Detroit-born point guard subsequently launched a European career that took him through Greece, Germany, Israel, and Turkey before landing in the Region of Murcia.

What he found at UCAM Murcia CB was much more than just a new professional destination; it was the ideal stage to finally unlock his full potential.

His numbers speak for themselves. Averaging 17.7 points and 4.3 assists per game, DeJulius became the second-highest scorer in the entire Liga Endesa, was named to the league's All-First Team, and finished third in the MVP voting for the season.

Beyond the statistics, the American delivered performances that are already etched into the club's recent history. His 35 points against BAXI Manresa, 31 points and 11 assists against Covirán Granada, and a spectacular 41-point performance against PAOK in the FIBA Europe Cup—tying the competition's all-time scoring record—solidified his status as the team's offensive powerhouse.

His breakout year perfectly represents UCAM Murcia CB's ability to attract international talent and turn them into marquee stars in Europe's most demanding domestic league.

Devontae Cacok: The Return of a Champion 

If DeJulius symbolizes sporting consolidation, Devontae Cacok represents resilience.

The American big man with a Jamaican passport arrived in Murcia after enduring one of the most difficult stretches of his career. An NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and a veteran of top-tier international competitions, a severe knee injury kept him off the court for an extended period, ultimately leading to the termination of his contract with Virtus Bologna.

When he signed with UCAM Murcia CB in the summer of 2025, there were reasonable doubts regarding his physical condition and his capacity to perform at the highest level again. His response was definitive: Cacok closed out the season averaging 11.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and a 12.9 performance index rating (PIR) in just 17 minutes per game in the Liga Endesa.

In February, he was named MVP of the Month after leading the team with averages of 22.7 points and a 27 PIR. In Europe, his 12.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game placed him among the most impactful players for the university squad.

His impact went far beyond statistics. His energy, rebounding prowess, and physical dominance provided the team with an essential interior consistency required to compete at the highest level throughout the entire season.

The International Dimension of the UCAM Model

While the stories of DeJulius and Cacok follow different paths, they share a common denominator: both found the right environment in Murcia to showcase their best selves.

This is precisely one of the greatest achievements of the project driven by the Catholic University of Murcia. UCAM has not only helped establish a competitive team in the Liga Endesa; it has built a sporting platform capable of attracting international talent, boosting professional careers, and competing successfully on the European stage.

The growth of UCAM Murcia CB over the last decade reflects a strategic vision based on stability, excellence, and internationalization. This philosophy aligns perfectly with the university's identity, allowing the club to transition from fighting against relegation to becoming a flagship program in Spanish basketball. The performances of both players have generated global echoes, covered by media outlets in China, the United States, Mexico, Argentina, the United Kingdom, and much of Europe.

The trajectories of David DeJulius and Devontae Cacok also mirror the international scale that defines both UCAM Murcia CB and the Catholic University of Murcia today. While the club has consolidated itself as a destination capable of attracting, developing, and projecting talent from various countries, UCAM has followed a parallel path in the academic field, becoming one of the most international universities in southern Europe. With campuses in Murcia, Cartagena, and Madrid, the institution hosts more than 22,000 students, of whom nearly 6,000 are international students from 135 different countries.

This reality shares the exact same values that have driven the basketball team's growth: global openness, excellence, ambition, and the capacity to generate opportunities. Ultimately, the historic success of UCAM Murcia CB is not just about sports; it is the reflection of a university that has made internationalization one of the core pillars of its project.