Virginia Union University basketball fans are hopeful Demarius Pitts’ second turn as a Panther goes as well as the first.

Pitts, the CIAA Rookie of the Year in 2018-19, is back wearing maroon & steel after spending the past two seasons at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Early signs are promising.

The 6-foot-4 wing guard from Maryland had 10 points and four rebounds in VUU’s 71-65 loss Nov. 12 to Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Wearing jersey No. 2 like he wore during the 2018-19 season, Pitts contributed nine points and four assists in VUU’s 70-61 win Nov. 13 over Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

In 2018-19, Pitts averaged 13 points per game for the Panthers. After sitting out the 2020 season at Division I University of Missouri-Kansas City, he averaged 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds as a sometime starter for the Roos in 2020-21.

The Nov. 12-13 games were part of the season-opening CIAA versus Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Challenge held at Virginia State University’s Multi-Purpose Center.

Coach Jay Butler’s squad is now preparing for games Nov. 22 and 23 in the inaugural Chris Paul HBCU Tip-Off at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

VUU will play West Virginia State University at 4 p.m. Nov. 22 and then the winner of the Winston-Salem State University-Morehouse College matchup on Nov. 23.

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Virginia State University’s “saltwater connection” is paying off.

Jonathan Norfleet and Dajour Rucker arrived just in time to help the host Trojans toa2-0startonNov.12and13atthe CIAA-PSAC Challenge.

Norfleet, a 6-foot-2 guard, hails from Salem High in Virginia Beach, where he was All-State, and transferred to VSU from Wagner College in New York.

Rucker, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound post player, earned All-State honors at Cape Henry Collegiate in Virginia Beach and transferred to VSU from Marshall University in West Virginia.

Both look sharp in orange and blue. In Norfleet’s debut with the Trojans, he scored 15 points while draining three 3-pointers in a 101-73 win over Mansfield University.

In the Trojans’ 85-75 win over Shippensburg University, Norfleet had 16 points, including two 3-pointers, and five assists.

Rucker averaged 10 points and a team best 7.5 rebounds in the opening doubleheader.

VSU Coach Lonnie Blow’s club will play Nov. 19 and 20 in the Pickle Classic in Mount Olive, N.C. The Trojans will face host University of Mount Olive at 7 p.m. Friday and then Barton College at 5 p.m. Saturday at Kornegay Arena.