That's because Simpson is in the enviable position of having as many 10 players who could earn a spot in that starting quintet. He can go with a lineup built on quickness, another to match up with size, one that will be able to pour in points in a hurry, and still another that will frustrate opposing teams with tenacious defense.

That flexibility will be a luxury for Simpson and his staff this season as the Aggies - with 11 letterwinners returning - look to make a run for their first Big West Conference championship.

UC Davis opens its 29-game season on Friday when it visits Seattle University for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The Aggies will then travel to face Pac-10 foe Washington State on Sunday at 2 p.m. The home opener is Tuesday against San Francisco at 7 p.m. All games during the season can be heard on KDVS (90.3 FM)

Optimism is high for UC Davis which was picked by the media to finish second to UC Santa Barbara in the upcoming Big West race.

"I think everyone, players and coaching staff, have a sense that something special is potentially brewing here," said Simpson.

For starters, the Aggies return four players who have All-Big West accolades on their hoops' resumè. Junior post Paige Mintun was a first-team selection last year while senior wing Haylee Donaghe earned second-team honors in 2008. Both are preseason all-league picks by the media this year.

Mix in 2009 Big West Freshman of the Year Lauren Juric and sophomore Kasey Riecks - who like Juric was named to the all-freshman team and honorable mention all-conference - and it's easy to see why prognosticators have high hopes for the Aggies.

But the excitement only builds further as you make your way down the roster, especially when you consider that six of the Aggie regulars last season were either true freshmen or redshirt freshman and each gained extensive and valuable experience that will pay dividends in 2009-10.

Among those players are sophomores Hana Asano (45 assists, 44 steals) who deftly helped run the team from the point guard position, long-range threat Cortney French who canned 33 three-pointers, and wing Samantha Meggison whose all-out effort led to her starting 15 games.

Post Lisa Peterson and post Ashley Curry - the only other senior besides Donaghe - add to the lineup, providing more options for Simpson.

How he mixes his players into the right combination will be the task during a pre-conference schedule which features home games at The Pavilion against preseason second-ranked Stanford (Nov. 22), NCAA Tournament participant Kansas State (Dec. 29) and Women's National Invitational Tournament team Creighton (Nov. 27).

A formidable Big West season, headlined by two-time defending champion UCSB will also test UC Davis which finished 11-18 overall last year and in fifth place in the league.

But it was the mostly youthful lineup and how it challenged last year's slate which is bringing excitement to the Aggies in 2009-10.

Mintun earned her all-league honors after leading UC Davis in scoring (13.0), rebounding (6.4), assists (69) and blocks (31) while tying for the team lead in steals (44). Juric picked up her Freshman of the Year award after finishing second in the league in three-point percentage (.407) while also finishing second on the team in rebounding (5.6).

Riecks averaged just 8.7 ppg but provided consistent play, resulting in her starting all 29 games, the only Aggie to do so.

But what's also happening to help fuel Simpson's optimism is the return of Donaghe and redshirt freshman Vicky Deely, two projected starters last year who combined to play just 10 games due to injuries.

Donaghe, whose career has been hampered by the injury bug, was granted a sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA. She played just seven games in 2008-09 after helping lead UC Davis to within a game of the NCAA Tournament during her junior year in 2007-08.

Deely saw action in only three games after coming to UC Davis from a prep career at Justin-Siena High School where she scored nearly 2,600 points.

And none of this considers the addition of San Francisco transfer Heidi Heintz, perhaps the best all-around player on the team who was a West Coast Conference All-Freshman pick in 2008.

Keeping healthy through a tough schedule and being ready to have different heroes each game will be keys to success.

"This Aggie team is showing every sign of embracing a true "team" approach," said Simpson.

All of it adds up to a mix-and-match opportunity for the Aggies who will could play as many as 10 players in their regular rotation with very little drop-off in tenacity or productivity.

Indeed, Simpson's got a nice problem on his hands.