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DAVIS, Calif. - The long wait is over for players and coaches of UC Davis men's basketball as Oct. 6 marked the first day the team could meet and compete in its first official practice of the season. Now that the players and coaches have returned to the court, Aggie fans can begin counting down to Nov. 16 - the day UC Davis will compete in its inaugural game of the 2014-15 season.

Including their season opener, the Aggies will compete at home in four of its first six games. A two-game road trip at Eastern Illinois and Furman is sandwiched between the team's Nov. 16 contest and the first of two season-long three game homestands. 

"I am really excited about this group because everyone had a productive offseason. They pushed themselves, worked on their conditioning and became stronger," said UC Davis head coach Jim Les.

"We threw a lot of things at everyone throughout this first practice. The seniors' basketball IQ helped the newcomers process and understand what took place."

Among the team's nine returners are four redshirt seniors.

"I was pleased with the intensity and execution that took place throughout this workout, especially since this was our first opportunity to have the guys run full court."

Les quickly discovered another luxury provided by this year's roster based on the energy the players displayed from start to finish.

"This team's depth is a huge asset. After just one practice, that is something that stood out. Players cannot take a play off because they will be exposed. This will help everyone become a better player because if someone does not `bring it,' those minutes will be given to the next player in line," added Les.

Even with the challenge of learning how to successfully balance one's academic course load and athletic responsibilities, all five Aggie newcomers shined in their first official practice.

"Summer workouts helped everyone become acclimated with the university and its academic demands. Now that players are competing in the classroom and competing on the floor, that time period helped everyone learn how to hold two rigorous full-time jobs," Les said.

In addition to preseason workouts, every player took summer classes during the school's second session.

Since three of the five newcomers possess previous playing experience at a Division I school, the learning curves experienced by those student-athletes were not as steep compared to their freshman teammates. For those two players, the Aggies' corps of returners played a vital role in making their respective transitions as smooth positive as possible" 

"This team has good veteran leadership; returning players taught the newcomers the skills and habits they need in order to become a successful student-athlete at UC Davis."

By making the most of the opportunities the offseason provided, student-athletes arrived to their first official workout of the season prepared, in shape and ready to compete. 

"From a coaching standpoint, I love the work that took place throughout the offseason because it showed throughout (Monday's) practice."