Providence vs Wisconsin: 2023-24 Gavitt Games basketball game preview, TV schedule

The Providence Friars host the Wisconsin Badgers at the Dunk for this year’s Gavitt Games matchup. Who and what should you look out for on both sides?

TV schedule: Tuesday, November 14th, 6:00 pm ET, FS1

Arena: Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island

The Gavitt Games begin as the Wisconsin Badgers from the Big Ten travel to Dunkin’ Donuts Center to take on the Providence Friars of the Big East. These programs have met five times, with the Friars holding a 4-1 series advantage, and winning their last matchup 63-58 back in November of 2021. Wisconsin has not beaten Providence since 1961, so a win here will have been a longtime coming.

Wisconsin is 1-1 on the year after suffering a 10-point loss to No. 9 Tennessee. St, John’s transfer AJ Storr led the way in scoring with 17 points, and Steven Crowl had a 14 point, nine rebound performance. The Badgers will look to avoid going under .500 against Providence in a tough road environment up in Rhode Island.

The Badgers brought back a number of returners and have high expectations heading into this season. They brought back five starters, most of their depth, added transfer help, and brought in a recruiting class. Against Tennessee, they had their moments but were just unable to get that run to pull ahead, which is what the Volunteers were able to do at the end of that game.

The Friars on the other hand have had their fair share of chaos as this new season comes along for them, with the first year without Ed Cooley, and the beginning of the Kim English era getting underway. Providence is coming off a season that saw them as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament, but it is going to be interesting to see where they end up this time around. This matchup against a quality Power 5 opponent will be big for them as a benchmark to where they are in terms of the rest of the country.

An interesting matchup for the Friars is that between Storr and the star in Providence Bryce Hopkins. In their last matchup back when Storr was at St. John’s, he put up 15 points off 6-11 shooting in a victory over the Friars. English provides a whole different gameplan coming from George Mason though, so while the team Storr is facing remains the same, this is a whole new unit than the one he faced not even a year ago.

English brought in three transfers from his George Mason team, guard Ticket Gaines and forward Josh Oduro came in as graduate transfers and start quality minutes for this team. Oduro is a near double-double a game player and Gaines is a nine point per game scorer so far this season.

Providence is undefeated, but still have their share of growing pains to go through with this new roster. They picked up a win against Milwaukee from the Horizon League 69-59, and while the win is a win, the Friars did not expect Milwaukee to hang around for as long as they did. With Wisconsin being a much better opponent, it will be a big test for the Friars at this point in the season.