The Xavier Musketeers will host The St. John's Redstorm, looking for its first Big East Conference of the season after falling to the Villanova Wildcats on Monday 68-62.
St. John has not beaten the Musketeers since the 2014-15 season when the Redstorm swept the series to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
St. John's has two seniors and two grad students on its roster but senior Mustapha Heron is expected to start for the first time in four games. Heron leads the Redstorm with a 15.0 points per game average. They will start a freshman, a sophomores, a junior and Heron the senior. Nick Rutherford, who is a grad transfer from Monmouth College, fills the starting lineup..
St. John's upset AP#16 Arizona to cap a seven-game winning streak before losing a close conference battle with Butler on New Year's Eve 60-58 to post an 11-3 overall record and 0-1 in the Big East.
Xavier lost its first conference game and enter Sunday's game with an identical record. Xavier led by Naji Marshall's 16.4 ppg has won five of its last seven games after starting the season 6-0.
The Musketeers are 11-3 all-time against St. John's.
Mike Anderson replaced Chris Mullins after a 21-13 record but a disappointing 8-10 Conference showing. Anderson coached Arkansas, Missouri and Alabama Birmingham (UAB). Anderson was on the staff of Nolan Richardson at Arkansas which used a full court press for "forty minutes of Hell." Anderson has never faced Xavier as a head coach.
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