News and Notes: Wisconsin is coming to town, George Mason letting it rip from deep under Kim English, and what English told Jayden Pierre when re-recruiting him to Providence

1. When word broke that Providence would host Wisconsin in this year’s Gavitt Games, it was hard not to feel a level of disappointment after the Friars had just played Wisconsin in 2021. PC picked up a 63-58 victory at Wisconsin on Nov. 15, 2021 behind a monster game from Nate Watson on that night.

It would probably feel different had Providence not just played TCU in the Big East-Big 12 Battle last season, coming off of having seen the Horned Frogs two years prior (both games took place in Fort Worth), and Northwestern in both 2020 and 2021 (neither of those games took place in Providence either).

Still, Wisconsin is also always a resume booster. The Badgers have missed the NCAA Tournament just three times since the turn of the century, and have been ranked in the AP Top 25 in all but one season since 2003.

Next year’s group returns veteran point guard Chucky Hepburn, center Steven Crowl, and added familiar names in St. John’s transfer A.J. Storr (a terrific shooter as a freshman last year) as well as former PC recruit Gus Yalden. Yalden and 6’10 incoming freshman Nolan Winter are both considered four star recruits on the interior.

Providence is 2-3 all-time in the Gavitt Games. This will be the first time they have hosted a game in the series since falling to Minnesota, 86-77, in 2017.

2. The Friars have the makings of a solid non-conference schedule in 2023-24. In addition to Wisconsin, they will travel to Oklahoma on Dec. 5, and will play in the Baha Mar Bahamas Hoops Championship in mid-November. The Baha Mar field includes Miami, Kansas State, and Georgia. Kanas State was an Elite Eight team last March, while Jim Larranaga led Miami to the Final Four. CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish has Miami #11 in the country in his projected top 25 for next season.