Notre Dame Basketball: Twitter-Based Power Rankings

Jan 2, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey (M) talks to his team during a stoppage in play against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers won 77-66. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 2, 2016; Charlottesville, VA, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Mike Brey (M) talks to his team during a stoppage in play against the Virginia Cavaliers in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers won 77-66. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
13 of 15

3. Austin Torres

Mar 14, 2015; Greensboro, NC, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish bench including forward Austin Torres (1) (front) react after the game. The Fighting Irish defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 90-82 in the championship game of the ACC Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 14, 2015; Greensboro, NC, USA; The Notre Dame Fighting Irish bench including forward Austin Torres (1) (front) react after the game. The Fighting Irish defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels 90-82 in the championship game of the ACC Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Quick Facts: Torres is a 6’7″ junior forward from Granger, Indiana, who came in as a close friend of D.J. and as a raw, athletic glue guy who could serve an important role as a physical defender and rebounder. He averages 1.4 points and 1.2 rebounds in his average of 5 minutes of play per game.

Austin is an active guy on Twitter, and is also featured in various tweets posted by his teammates. His longtime friend and teammate Demetrius Jackson, for instance, tweeted about Austin’s proclivity for exaggerating about his jumping ability, and then later about his excitement for the next installment in his favorite trilogy-turned-tetralogy:

Austin’s pTb also takes us on incredible journeys, searching for many of the same treasures and answers and self-actualizations that we all seek in our own lives:

And thus, because his most important goals are so similar to ours in the audience, it is with great emotional pay-off that we experience the exciting climax to his quests for fulfillment:

Austin is a very down-to-earth guy as well. Oftentimes, literally:

In fact, he’s so humble that he frequently admits to his faults, his mistakes, and his lesser days.

But he knows that each day is a blessing, and helps us remember that by asking us uplifting, motivational questions that make us reconsider how we live our lives.

He puts himself out there on Twitter with incredible confidence. He’s not afraid to show the real Austin, and also courageously encourage others to do the same:

At the same time, he’s not completely selfless. Sometimes, a little quid pro quo is good in any Twitter-based friendship.

But no matter what he does online, he never forgets his roots and where he came from:

Those humble beginnings instilled in Torres a frugal, spendthrift nature that pushes him to make sound decisions with his money and act resourcefully:

I mean, hell, just look at his Easter brunch. That’s called living a simple, clean, fulfilling life right there. Austin values the important things in life, refusing to be tempted by material goods (besides hot tubs).

He realizes that strong relationships with those close to him are what will make life worth living, and ultimately help him accomplish all of his goals, mac-and-cheese related or otherwise.

Speaking of mac-and-cheese, Austin could probably benefit from having the team nutritionist follow him around. I’m afraid he is going to get scurvy or something.

Although, then again, his poor eating habits definitely don’t show. Mr. Austin Torres has a body that just won’t quit.

Austin Torres is a gritty, tough, oftentimes ugly basketball player who gets by on hustle, effort, and raw athleticism.

But his Twitter persona? It’s anything but ugly. In fact, it’s glorious and his natural tweeting talents emanate from everything he touches on that fantastic social media site. He would have likely claimed the number one spot, if it weren’t for a couple local legends just ahead of him. Still, Torres’ pTb is impressive and demands the respect of anyone #blessed enough to interact with it.

Next: Number 2