Seven deep on most days, in the first year under a new coach, playing defense that at its best would embarrass André Maginot, and now down their second-leading scorer and top rebounder, Xavier somehow stands on top of the Big East more than halfway through the season. That's obviously not the end goal, but it's a giant step in the direction thereof.
Fresh off the heels of a gritty two-point win against Providence, Xavier plays host to KenPom #80 St. John's. It's perhaps a measure of how far Xavier has come since last time Sean Miller was head coach here that a home game against a team sitting at #80 feels like something halfway between a respite and a trap.