JACKSON, Miss. – The Belhaven men's basketball program and Head Coach John Aiken are pleased to announce the 2013-14 recruiting class. The Blazers are excited about where the program is headed for the upcoming season.

"As the head coach of the program I am really excited about the foundation we laid this past off season on the recruiting trail," Aiken said. "My assistant Alex Ainsworth worked very hard as our recruiting coordinator this past year and really helped us address our needs for depth in a variety of areas. I am excited about the chemistry of this group and the skill set that so many of these guys bring to our program. When I took over this program I said that our identity would be in our ability to really create pressure for 40 minutes on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. We now have quality depth to really make that vision a reality. We are bringing in 10 transfers that provide quality depth to all positions."

6'7" Brandon Greene – Baltimore, Maryland – Transfer from Pikeville University
"Brandon is a bruising power forward that will play some center for us as well," Aiken said. "He was a key contributor for a Pikeville team that started 14-1 last year. We expect him to come in and lead our front court immediately. He is a very skilled post player with a great knack for blocking shots and passing the ball."

6'9" Bouna Niang – Dakar, Senegal – Transfer from Baton Rouge Community College
"Bouna may be the most athletic big man to come through Belhaven since I have been here," Aiken said. "He was a great motor which allows him to play hard on both ends. His strengths will be rebounding the ball and in our press. We really expect him to be a game changer because of his tenacity and length."

6'8" Robert Farmer – Jackson, Mississippi – Transfer from Alabama Southern Community College
"We started recruiting Robert two years ago when he was playing at Alabama Southern," Aiken said. "He is a very skilled offensive post and is a great energy guy for our team. He is a constant encourager and really helps to blend many of our new pieces together. We are excited about his versatility."

6'5" Josh Gaskin – Vicksburg, Mississippi – Transfer from Hinds Community College
"Josh reminds me a lot of returning senior Deon Bedford," said Aiken. "He is a great kid with tremendous athletic ability. Josh will provide us quality depth in the post and has the ability to be effective in our ball screen offense and the press."

6'5" D'ariel Franklin – Birmingham, Alabama – Transfer from Shelton State Community College
"D is a high-major athlete and is one of the more physically gifted players we have had come through this program," Aiken said. "We are excited about his experience in one of the best pressing systems in all of junior college at Shelton State."

6'3" Carlo McDonald – Florence, Mississippi – Transfer from Hinds Community College
"Carlo is a very versatile player for us and I am excited to see how he fits and where we can use him," Aiken said. "He has the ability to play three positions offensively and defensively. He can really shoot the ball from the perimeter and has great size to take guards into the post."

6'2" Josh Carpenter – Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Transfer from Pearl River Community College
"Josh is a strong physical guard that reminds me a lot of AJ Taylor from our 2010 team," Aiken said. "Josh can play both the point and 2 guard position and has a tremendous ability to get to the rim and finish. He will provide great depth to our guards."

6'1" Alex Thompson – Jackson, Mississippi – Coahoma Community College
"Alex is a perfect fit point guard for our program," Aiken said. "He played at Lanier High School and really understands our ball screen system. I am excited to see his growth defensively as I think he has the tools to be one of our best defenders."

6' Dycus Juste – Orlando, Florida – Ave Maria University
"Dycus came to us in January and has been working out with our team for a semester," said Aiken. "He has a tremendous work ethic and is working hard to pick up our system. He has a very good mid-range game and will provide depth to our perimeter."

6' Nick Pernell – Jackson, Mississippi – Mississippi State University
"Nick was a prolific scorer in high school at St. Joe's in Madison and is another combo guard that has incredible measurable," said Aiken. "We are very excited about his athleticism and are looking forward to his development on the court in his first year of collegiate basketball."

Belhaven opens the 2013-14 season at home against Dalton State College November 1 at 7:00 PM in Rugg Arena.