Minutes after the Wildcats learned Sunday they were seeded 10th in the Midwest Regional and would play Gonzaga at 12:25 p.m. Friday 160 miles away in Raleigh, dozens of fans lined up at the student center trying to secure tickets.

"A 10 seed is a 10 seed, so you don't really focus on that," star guard Stephen Curry said. "But we're happy to be close to home."

Despite a nation-best 22-game winning streak, a No. 23 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 poll and strong RPI of 35, the Wildcats didn't get the single-digit seed they had hoped for their third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

"When there's a subjective process that's married to an objective process, there's going to be a lot of unhappy people," coach Bob McKillop said. "We're OK. The fact that we're in Raleigh makes it pretty special for us."

Though seventh-seeded Gonzaga (25-7) will have to travel across the country, Davidson (26-6) will hop on a bus for a 2 1/2-hour drive. The Wildcats are familiar with the RBC Center after losing to N.C. State there in December. They hope it will be full of Davidson fans on Friday.

"To see them trying to buy tickets already shows how much they love our team and how much they affect how we play," said guard Jason Richards, who averages a nation-best eight assists. "Having them there is going to be awesome."

The Gonzaga-Davidson winner probably will face second-seeded Georgetown, which will be a big favorite to beat Maryland-Baltimore County.

Richards and Curry know a little about the 20th-ranked Bulldogs, who received an at-large bid after they were upset by San Diego in the West Coast Conference tournament final.

Curry roomed with Gonzaga leading scorer Matt Bouldin last summer when they were teammates on the U.S. under-19 national team. Richards once roomed with Gonzaga's second-leading scorer, Jeremy Pargo, at a high school basketball camp.

While Davidson will be trying to win an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1969, Gonzaga is making its 10th straight NCAA appearance and has reached at least the regional semifinals four times since 1999.

"They are without doubt one of the high-level programs in the country," McKillop said. "And they are at the high level because they've succeeded not once, not twice, but they've had a history of consistent success."

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