NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 8 Gavitt Games matchups for 2023-24 season
6. Wisconsin Badgers at Providence Friars
Games involving Wisconsin aren’t usually “must-see” television but they should have a good roster for next season. They return most of their key parts and add former St. John’s freshman guard, AJ Storr, to the lineup. The Badgers have a chance for what should be a Quad 1 road opportunity against a Friars’ squad that has top-25 potential.
The big storyline in this game will be Providence’s new head coach, Kim English. He was viewed as a surprising hire at the time but he has a good roster that includes bringing with him George Mason’s best player, Josh Oduro. Wisconsin is a good litmus test for opponents and if Coach English can get past them at home, it’ll bode well for Big East play.
5. Iowa Hawkeyes at Creighton Bluejays
The Bluejays may have lost two starters this offseason but as long as both Trey Alexander and Ryan Kalkbrenner each come back, they should be a top-10 team to start next season. Iowa, on the other hand, will have to replace its top scorers, including All-Big Ten forward, Kris Murray.
But the Hawkeyes always have a star scorer or two each year under Coach Fran McCaffery and it’ll be interesting to see who emerges next year. And this game is going to be fun to watch regardless, as these are two of the better offenses year in and year out in all of NCAA Basketball.