They've been chomping at the bit to hit the court again, and now that day has arrived for the Clark Atlanta University Panthers men's basketball team.

The Panthers open the 2021-22 season in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference/Gulf South Conference Challenge in Fort Valley, Ga., at 5 p.m. against Valdosta State.  The game can be watched live at https://team1sports.com/fvsu/.

The Panthers, now coached by Bo Bivens who is in his first season, are a mix of newcomers and returners from the 2019-20 squad that went 14-16 and lost in the semifinals of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament in a close game to eventual champions, Miles.

Picked to finish third in the SIAC East this season, the Panthers' two leading scorers from the 2019-20 squad – Romaine Thomas and Tyler Singleton – are both gone.  But senior Justin Longstreet (6.5 points per game), graduate student Shannon Smith (5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds), and Calvin White (averaged 12 points and 5.5 rebounds in four games) are back, as in veterans Shane Pearley and Jaylen Rogers.

They take on a Valdosta State squad that's also opening their new season with their second-ever matchup with Clark Atlanta (VSU won that game 98-76 in 2005).

Unlike CAU, the Blazers did play a season last year, finishing 17-5, 14-4 in the Gulf South Conference, winning the GSC regular season and conference tournament titles. That earned them a spot in the Division II NCAA tournament for the fifth-straight season.   They return six players from that team, including guards Jacolbey Owens, who averaged 12.2 points per game and made 24-of-49 three pointers last season, and Cam Hamilton, who put up 14 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

The Panthers are back on the court tomorrow when they take on the University of West Florida at 3 p.m.   Their home opener at L.S. Epps Gymnasium is on Wednesday, Nov. 17 when they host Winston-Salem State at 6 p.m.