One of the things Xavier head coach Sean Miller said he liked about the Musketeers this season is the team's ability to not get too low after a loss and too high after a win.

"You have to be the team that can go from one thing to the next," Miller said.

Coming back from Sunday will be the biggest challenge, according to Miller. Xavier's road trip to Hartford to play No. 1 UConn was a nightmare. All the positive momentum Xavier had created as a young team learning to gel flew out the window as the top-ranked Huskies handed the Musketeers its worst loss in over a century, 99-56.

It was the first time Xavier had lost by 40 points since a 111-70 loss to No. 10 Kansas in the Great Alaska Shootout semifinals on Nov. 26, 1999.

More: 'We were overwhelmed.' Here's what we learned as No. 1 UConn blows out Xavier Musketeers

"It's up to use now to get back, we have a home game, have a couple good days and be the most ready we can for our next Big East challenge," Miller said. "We just have to make sure from a confidence perspective that we can keep it, hold on to it. As long as we'll do that, we'll bounce back."

Xavier's opportunity for a Big East bounce back comes Wednesday when Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm visits Cintas Center.

Here's what to know for Wednesday's matchup.

Xavier vs. St. John's scouting report

Tip: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m., Cintas Center (10,224)

TV/Radio: FS1/55 KRC

Ratings: Xavier has dropped to No. 42 in KenPom after back-to-back losses. St. John's is No. 33. The Musketeers now sit at No. 53 in the NCAA Net Rankings, while St. John's is No. 35. Both teams have a pair of Quad 1 victories this season.

History: Xavier leads the all-time series history 16-6. St. John's has won four of the last six matchups, though, after an 81-66 win over Xavier in December.

St. John's Red Storm scouting report

Record: 13-7 (5-4 Big East)

Head coach: Rick Pitino (13-7 at St. John's, first season)

Offense: 77.2 ppg

Defense: 69.6 ppg

Overview: St. John's lost three Big East games by a total of seven points before a resounding 70-50 thrashing of Villanova its last time out. The Red Storm had a bye weekend and now head to Cintas Center, where they've won just once since the 2014-15 season.

St. John's defense is coming off one of its most impressive performances. The Red Storm swarmed Villanova, holding the Wildcats to just 37.5% shooting and 4-of-25 from beyond the arc while forcing 11 turnovers. St. John's dominated on the glass, too, with a 42-23 rebounding edge.

St. John's is led by Joel Soriano, who leads the Big East in rebounds (9.7) and is ninth in scoring at 16.4 points per game. Soriano was 8-of-9 from the field and posted game-highs with 21 points and 9 rebounds against Villanova.

The Red Storm rank No. 41 in offensive efficiency, per KenPom, but have been average shooting the ball, ranking No. 191 in 3-point percentage, No. 197 in shots from inside the arc and No. 220 in free-throw percentage (70.5). St. John's still has scoring threats with Iona transfer Daniss Jenkins, UMass transfer RJ Luis and Penn transfer Jordan Dingle all joining Soriano in double figures.

Projected lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

Jordan Dingle (G, 6'3", 10.6 ppg)

Daniss Jenkins (G, 6'4, 13.1 ppg)

Chris Ledlum (G, 6'6", 9.6 ppg)

RJ Luis (F, 6'7", 10.7 ppg)

Joel Soriano (C, 6'11", 16.4 ppg)

Xavier Musketeers scouting report

Record: 10-10 (4-5 Big East)

Head coach: Sean Miller (157-67 at Xavier, seventh season)

Offense: 75.8 ppg

Defense: 73.1 ppg

Overview: Xavier has to have a short memory, which is easier said than done after a 43-point loss. If you could find any positives from Xavier's performance, it was Dayvion McKnight scoring 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting to lead an offense that shot just 34.4% from the field. McKnight is now averaging 19 points over the last four games. Quincy Olivari shook off his road woes with four 3-pointers, but the outcome was well decided by the time the Rice transfer got going from the perimeter.

How does Xavier beat St. John's?

The first time out, St. John's suffocated Xavier with a zone defense and a full-court press. It resulted in 18 Musketeer turnovers and a wire-to-wire Red Storm victory at Carnesecca Arena. Xavier had protected the rock better in Big East play and the team that lost in Queens that night never appeared in a Musketeer uniform again until visiting UConn.

The biggest battle will be on the boards. St. John's ranks No. 4 in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage and is tied for No. 3 in offensive rebounds per game (15.2). Xavier's defense ranks No. 212 in limiting second-chance opportunities.

The good news? Xavier has shown multiple times this season it can rebound with the best of them, winning that battle against Houston (42-39), St. John's (43-37), Villanova (41-38), UConn at home (42-30), Providence (38-29) and Creighton (41-36).

It's all about limiting the "pockets" of poor play Miller talked about after losing to Creighton − the second chance rebound that leads to a 3-pointer, a costly turnover that turns into a transition dunk, a lack of hustle in transition that leads to a momentous run. You pick it, Xavier's been hurt by it this season. With its lack of experience and depth, Xavier can ill-afford to get stagnant on either side of the ball.

Projected lineup

(Pos., Height, Stats)

Dayvion McKnight (G, 6'0", 11.4 ppg)

Quincy Olivari (G, 6'3", 17.8 ppg)

Desmond Claude (G, 6'6", 16.0 ppg)

Dailyn Swain (F, 6'7", 4.6 ppg)

Abou Ousmane (F, 6'10", 8.1 ppg)

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Big East Conference: Xavier Musketeers host Rick Pitino, St. John's