Davidson not content with just being in NCAA tournament this time

The team that hasn't lost in nearly three months didn't get any rest on Monday.

"I think we're going to run them into the ground," Davidson assistant coach Matt Matheny said as he walked on the court just before practice began.

Minutes later, bodies were hitting the floor in a defensive drill that left every player, from star guard Stephen Curry to the reserves, gasping for air.

This time around, little Davidson isn't just happy to be in the NCAA tournament _ not with a nation-best 22-game winning streak and certainly not with a No. 23 ranking in The Associated Press poll.

The Wildcats (26-6) are determined to give the school its first NCAA victory in 38 years against Gonzaga in the Midwest Regional on Friday.

"The past couple of years we were a 15-seed and a 13-seed. Now we're a 10-seed and I think it really shows how we've progressed over the years," said senior point guard Jason Richards, who leads the nation with 8.0 assists per game.

"Taking the next step is winning a game in the tournament. That's definitely what we're going to try to do," Richards said. "It's definitely a great opportunity with where we're playing. We'll be ready."

Everything seems to be working in Davidson's advantage to end a six-game NCAA tournament losing streak and give the Southern Conference its first NCAA win in 11 years.

Davidson, making its third straight NCAA appearance, will only have to take a 2 1/2-hour bus ride to Raleigh. Seventh-seeded Gonzaga must fly across the country, then play the first game on Friday in front of a hostile crowd.

And the 24th-ranked Bulldogs will be facing the hottest team in the country. The Wildcats haven't lost since Dec. 21 at North Carolina State, in the same arena where they play Friday.

"It's special to go through the conference with a bulls-eye on our back and everybody giving us their best shot and not have a misstep or anything for 2 1/2 months now," said Curry, the baby-faced shooting guard who averages 25.1 points per game. "It's really special. Hopefully, we can keep our confidence and our flow going. I think we're playing better than we ever have."

Davidson has put up some gaudy numbers since a 4-6 start that included close losses to North Carolina, Duke and UCLA.

The Wildcats went 20-0 in the Southern Conference during the regular season, then won their three tournament games by an average of 26 points.

Curry, the son of former NBA player Dell Curry, has hit 139 3-pointers this season. Richards has 257 assists and only 96 turnovers. The front line, an area of weakness earlier in the season, has improved.

"There has not been any point in time where I could say, 'Wow, we've just dramatically improved,'" coach Bob McKillop said. "What's happened since that time is I think we've refined our shot selection. Our defense has picked up and our inside game has gotten better. I think the combination of those three factors has played itself out in producing the kind of season we've had."

But Davidson wants more, and that desire showed in the intense practice Monday afternoon.

"I want them to understand that they're in a very special situation right now," McKillop said. "They're enjoying an experience that many other teams won't have the opportunity to partake in. And they should certainly realize how lucky they are have this experience, to have this opportunity."