Advanced metrics are not the be-all and end-all of evaluating college basketball teams. That being said, the current game sample size does offer us a chance to see which teams are better than their reputations suggest, and which teams are worse.

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We are 20-plus games into the season, which means we have an idea of what teams are good at, what they are bad at and how their won-loss record might be misaligned with their actual possession-to-possession performance. So, here is an evaluation of each Big East team projected to make the NCAA tournament with a look at their strengths and weaknesses.

No. 11 Marquette Golden Eagles

Projected seed: 3

This week’s schedule: at St. John’s Tue., at Creighton Sat.
The Golden Eagles took a blow with a home loss to UConn. This week, they play the other two projected Big East tournament teams in enemy territory. Marquette is the best team in the country in turnover margin, but it would really help if it could make more threes given that it hucks them up at a top-20 rate.

No. 12 St. John’s Red Storm

Projected seed: 4

This week’s schedule: vs. Marquette Tue., at UConn Fri.
The Red Storm have made a living by stifling a weak strength of schedule, but there is no denying their defensive bona fides. A top-five ranking in defensive rating (fed by top-15 marks in turnovers forced and field goal percentage defense) is real, and they’ll have a chance to prove it against two of the conference’s best this week.

No. 19 Connecticut Huskies

Projected seed: 6

This week’s schedule: vs. St. John’s Fri.
The story remains the same for the Huskies. They can score – they rank 11^th in KenPom’s offensive rating metric – but it’s hard for them to get stops (115^th in defensive rating). Perhaps the always potent offensive attack will be enough for another deep run, but it typically takes a functional defense to succeed in March. Still, the win at Marquette is a great sign.

This week’s schedule: at Providence Wed., vs. Marquette Sat.
Few teams clear the defensive glass and defend without fouling like the Bluejays. The problem is that they do not press those advantages by grabbing offensive rebounds or getting to the free-throw line themselves. Winning or losing the 3-point battle may determine wins and losses for Creighton moving forward.