TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- For perhaps the first time in this turbulent season, the Arizona Wildcats find themselves in a familiar place.

The tenth-seeded Wildcats will make their 24th straight appearance in the NCAA tournament tomorrow night when they take on seventh-seeded West Virginia in Washington, D.C.

The tournament gives the Wildcats a chance to put a happy face on a season many in Tucson would rather forget.

It began with the November announcement that Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson was taking a leave of absence. A month later, the 73-year-old Olson extended his leave through the season on the same day he filed for divorce from his wife.

Injuries to freshman Jerryd Bayless and Nic Wise led to a seventh-place finish in the Pac-10.

Arizona squeezed into the tourney on the strength of its murderous nonconference schedule, which included road trips to Memphis, Kansas and UCLA, all of which earned number one seeds.