Paine's Link likes new recruiting class

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Coach Jimmy Link is bringing in four transfers and a high school senior to bolster his lineup, which includes nine returning lettermen off last season’s 14-12 campaign. When play begins in November, the Lions will look to make a run at claiming its first Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season title since 1994.

“I’m trying to win the thing,” Link said. “We’re definitely going to go hard at it.”

The recruiting class is highlighted by a pair of front-court players with Division I experience in Toby Veal (Virginia Commonwealth) and Jerel Stephenson (UNC Wilmington). After playing at Colorado, Northwest Florida State and VCU, Veal will play his final college season at Paine. Veal saw time for the Rams when they advanced to the 2011 Final Four. When VCU upset No. 1 Kansas in the Elite Eight, Veal had six points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.

The 6-foot-7, 245-pound Veal, who played high school basketball in ...

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