Interpretive Dance: A&M, Texas heading in different directions

Still recuperating from your midweek bar crawl? Are you nostril deep in term paper research? Have no fear, fellow bracketeers. As a companion to the Bracket Big Board, the I.D. is here to highlight what teams are gaining and what teams are losing ground in the march toward the NCAA Tournament.  

DA BULLS (MOVING UP) 

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (17-7, RPI: 26, SOS: 21, Current Seed: 6)

In a week that surely had Digger Phelps doing a jig, the Irish knocked off No. 2 ranked North Carolina in the Joyce Center and followed up with a convincing road triumph over Bubblicious Clemson. Victorious in seven of their last nine, they're knocking at Carolina's door, trailing the Heels by a half game with six to play. But the road to their first regular season ACC title isn't sans a few potholes. Home bouts against Louisville and Miami and a potentially troublesome away tilt in Tallahassee are no cakewalks. Similar to previous versions, Mike Brey's club is an offensive juggernaut that passes the ball crisply, thrives in a halfcourt setting and commits few mistakes (No. 2 in off. TO%). Its 1.24 points per possession scored ranks No. 1 in the nation. The versatility of VJ Beachem, floor command of Demetrius Jackson and inside/outside execution of Zach Auguste and Steve Vasturia present numerous matchup problems. They, however, are allergic to playing defense. Among projected at-large selections, the Irish rank dead last with a No. 239 defensive efficiency. On the season, opponents have netted just over 39 percent from three. Puke. As always, bouncing them in a single-elimination format will be a chore, but all it takes is one iron-unkind night for ND to exit stage left. For now, it should land somewhere in the No. 4-No. 7 seed range.

Texas Longhorns (16-8, RPI: 20, SOS: 3, Current Seed: 6) 

It didn't take Shaka Smart long to reverse the course of mediocrity wound by Rick Barnes. The strategies he's implemented aren't 100-percent identical to the principles taught at VCU. He's molded his havoc-style to fit UT's personnel. Instead of a three-quarters court press, Smart installed a restrictive, halfcourt man-to-man scheme, a system that's thwarted many. On the year, the 'Horns have surrendered a mere 0.94 points per possession, the 25th-best mark in the country. Most impressively, they've displayed amazing resiliency after premier big man Cameron Ridley was lost to a fractured left foot in December. Wonderfully skilled replacement, Prince Ibeh, has filled the void brilliantly developing into a rebounding and shot-blocking menace. Ridley's prolonged absence may have been be a blessing in disguise. Hopes are the paint patroller will return in time for March. Couple that with UT's strong contributions from guards Isaiah Taylor and Javan Felix along with Connor Lammert's three-point bursts and it has the ingredients needed to survive well beyond the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Bevo, sunk by a clutch Buddy Hield three, fell just short at Oklahoma Monday, but with Iowa St., West Virginia, Baylor, Kansas and a rematch with OU on the horizon, it has ample opportunities to boost its already solid resume. Clear several of those hurdles and a No. 4 seed isn't out of the question.

Oregon St. Beavers (14-8, RPI: 38, SOS: 8, Current Seed: 10)

Twenty-six years. That's how long its been since the Beavers cut rug in the NCAA Tournament. That year, 1990, BellBivDavoe told us to "never trust a big butt and a smile," and All-American, Gary Payton, graced the floor at Gill Coliseum. Flash forward two-plus decades and 'The Glove's' son, Gary Payton II, has the Hall of Famer's alma mater in position to return to the Dance. Don't get stuck on OSU's below .500 mark in Pac-12 play. This is a team with a tournament resume. According to the RPI and KenPom, it possesses zero bad losses and has toppled five top-50 teams, including noteworthy home wins against rival Oregon, Cal, USC and Utah. It's futile 0-4 mark in conference road games is a knock, but with several opportunities on the docket (at Stanford, Cal, Oregon, USC and UCLA) it can prove to the Selection Committee it belongs among this year's at-large class. The Beavers aren't the soundest team, but they've forced turnovers on 22.2 percent of Pac-12 opponent possessions, a conference best. Thanks to Payton, they also rarely self-inflict wounds. If super sixth-man Stephen Thompson continues to deliver, they'll finally end their prolonged postseason drought.

DA BEARS (MOVING DOWN) 

Indiana Hoosiers (19-5, RPI:, SOS:, Current Seed: 7) 

For the unaware, Indiana is an exceptional shooting team. Oh, and Han Solo is dead. Very dead. Too soon? Despite the loss of multidimensional forward James Blackmon, the Hoosiers have continuously imposed their will from all points on the floor. They rank inside the top-12 nationally in effective field-goal percentage (59.6), three-point percentage (42.2), two-point percentage (57.0) and offensive rebounding percentage (38.0). Blazing in transition and much improved defensively, this is the team with mammoth March potential – at least on the surface. Underneath, IU has many unanswered questions. Much of their production was accumulated against meek opponents. Outside a neutral-court win over Notre Dame, this is a largely untested team. Duke slaughtered it by 20 in early December and, though it's raced out to a 9-2 mark in Big Ten play, Tom Crean's squad has yet to tango with the league's elite. The Hoosiers' bewildering stumble at Penn St. last Saturday may have marked the beginning of a major adjustment. Arguably no B1G contender has a tougher remaining schedule. On the docket: Iowa (twice), at Michigan St., Purdue and Maryland. A .500 record against that slate would be a victory. To avoid a February catastrophe, Yogi Ferrell and Co. must minimize turnovers and clamp down along the perimeter. If not, and a double-digit seed is likely. IU's 270-plus non-conference strength of schedule will do it no favors with the Selection Committee.

Xavier Musketeers (21-3, RPI: 8, SOS: 40, Current Seed: 3) 

Prior to the season, the Musketeers were widely considered afterthoughts. Most publications predicted they would be rather uncompetitive in the Big East, a projected middle-of-the-pack finisher destined for a secondary tournament. Body-slamming naysayers, Xavier is not only nipping at Villanova's heels for league supremacy, it's in line to draw a very favorable NCAA Tournament seed. Aggressive on the glass and well-rounded (top-31 in offensive and defensive efficiency), it's a balanced, unintimidated club that crush opponents at the free-throw line. For the most part, the trio of Edmond Sumner, Trevon Bluiett and Myles Davis have played brilliantly. However, there are chinks in the armor. Of late, Xavier has shown signs of unraveling. In a 14-point defeat at Creighton, it couldn't toss a golf ball into the ocean, apparent in its abysmal 1-for-21 showing from three. Equally concerning, the Musketeers were abused by dribble penetration, a common occurrence in recent outings. Over their past three games they've surrendered an uncharacteristic 1.03 points per possession. Falling outside the KenPom top-20, they're a team with the makeup of a No. 3 more than a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. With an ultra-challenging schedule left (at Butler, Providence, at G'Town, 'Nova, at Seton Hall, Creighton), Xavier could eventually bottom out on No. 4 or No. 5 line if its defense and three-point shooting aren't rectified.

Texas A&M Aggies (18-6, RPI: 23, SOS: 44, Current Seed: 6) 

Watering holes in the greater Bryan, Tex. area are packed with patrons in search of liquid therapy. QB issues, Johnny Manziel and especially the men's basketball team are reasons for the despondency. On the wrong side in four of their last five games, the Aggies have gone from SEC title favorites to presumed March fake. The reasons for the downturn? 1) Turnovers. In those defeats, Billy Kennedy's club coughed it up 15.8 times per contest, an unacceptable number. 2) Weak D. Once a hallmark, A&M surrendered 1.09 points per possession in their recent setbacks. With four seniors in the starting lineup, its unraveling is puzzling. Alex Collins' missed freebies, which cost the Aggies at Alabama, was a prime example. Entering Wednesday, he was a 93.3 percent free-throw shooter. Without many eventful opponents remaining, it must handle business against inferior competition and undercut a hungry, desperate LSU team in Baton Rouge or Kentucky at home to secure a top-five seed. If the downward trend continues, however, it's conceivable the Aggies bottom out in the No. 7-No. 9 seed range come Selection Sunday, making it susceptible to a first-round knockout.

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