Xavier opens gauntlet Big East stretch against St. John's

Seven days will have passed between Xavier men's basketball's New Year's Eve win at Georgetown and Saturday's home game against St. John's – a relative and welcome break at the start of the Big East season.

Head coach Chris Mack said during a Friday press conference the team also enjoyed a day off during that stretch.

It's a good thing they're resting up now. The No. 16-ranked Musketeers (12-2, 2-0 Big East) are about to launch themselves headlong into an undeniably brutal stretch of their schedule.

Xavier will play St. John's (8-8, 2-1 Big East) Saturday afternoon at St. John's before moving on to play defending national champion Villanova on the road Tuesday, Butler on Jan. 14 and Creighton…