What does the 14-15 Indiana Hoosier Depth Chart Look Like?

As the 2014 Recruiting Class starts to head to campus in the next week or two, I thought it would be a good time to take an early glance at how the depth chart is looking for the 2014-2015 Indiana Hoosiers. The frontcourt of next year's team has been hotly debated since the day Noah Vonleh declared for the NBA draft, and I'll take a closer look at that below, but one thing is for sure - the Hoosier backcourt has a chance to be one of the best in the league next season.

Point Guard

The depth chart above is pretty much locked in and we are not even in the month of June yet. There is a 0% chance that someone starts at point guard besides Yogi Ferrell unless an injury occurs between now and the beginning of the season. It is possible that Ferrell will be suspended for the first couple of games due to his recent arrest for utilizing a fake ID during Little 500 weekend, but other than that, he is clearly the starter at this position for the 14-15 campaign.  I fully expect Blackmon and Johnson to handle the ball while Ferrell is in foul trouble or resting, which likely won't happen too much given that Ferrell averaged 33.8 minutes per game last season.

Shooting Guard

This spot also seems pretty locked down for Indiana as Blackmon didn't pick the Hoosiers over Kentucky to come in and play as a reserve for a year. He is ranked #20 overall in the 247Sports Composite Index and is regarded as the best shooter in the class. If he plays to the potential that most believe he has, I think this backcourt will be as productive as any other in the conference. Robert Johnson should be one of the first players off the bench next year for Indiana and there will not be much drop off in three point shooting when he is in the game for Blackmon. Shooting was one of the main issues for Indiana last season and that should be mostly solved with these two freshmen.

Small Forward / Third Guard

This is where it starts to get interesting from a line-up perspective. Stanford Robinson will almost certainly start as Indiana is clearly going to start three guards next season, but if you were to read the many message board websites on Indiana basketball - you would get the impression that Indiana has too many guards and not enough big men. As can be seen in these three guard positions, the Hoosiers really only have four players capable of playing these three spots. What if someone gets injured? What if a couple guys are in foul trouble? Yes, maybe you could move Troy Williams up here from the #4 spot and play a little bigger, but that means you have a weaker player down low which is already a major weak spot. I really believe that Indiana might use their last open scholarship on a 5^th year guard this summer to try and make up for the lack of depth above.

Power Forward

It's hard to consider this a power forward spot for Indiana, but for sake of consistency with other teams - I have labelled it as such. Troy Williams will certainly be starting for the Hoosiers and it is likely that he will be guarding the other team's #4 in most situations. While that will be a distinct disadvantage on the defensive end, it will also lead to a significant advantage on the offensive side in most situations. Williams showed all kinds of promise down the stretch in his freshman season and I think he is the player that most fans are excited to see the development from in the offseason. He averaged 13.3 points per game in the final four games last season and looked as if he might be poised for stardom in the coming years. Can he make a Victor Oladipo type jump this offseason? We will have to wait and see what kind of work he is willing to put in. As far as reserves at power forward, it seems clear that Devin Davis will be the first "big" man off the bench. Davis is another sophomore who showed a lot of promise at times last season and could be another player headed for a large role on this team if he puts in the work this offseason. Finally, I see Hoetzel also getting some minutes here. Both he and Davis have been rumored to have grown an inch or two since their last official measurement, and if that is the case, it would be great news for Hoosier fans. Hoetzel is another great shooter who could stretch the defense at this position.

Center

This has been by far the most scrutinized position for Indiana this offseason. Hanner Perea seems like the most obvious choice to start at center, but he has been so inconsistent in the past and seemingly unwilling to put in the extra effort, that you have to wonder if Davis could potentially pass him on the depth chart this summer (especially if he has actually grown an inch or two).  No one doubts the talent that Perea has in his 6'9" frame and if Coach Crean can somehow light a fire under him, Indiana could be really good next season. He did improve a reasonable amount from his freshman year, but he needs to show significant improvement this offseason to be the guy down low that Indiana desperately needs. Davis will also see time here, and I think we will also see Jeremiah April for decent minutes. Of the two late commits (the other being Tim Priller), April seems to be the most ready for the rigors of the B1G. If he can come in and just provide a presence on the defensive end, it will be a successful signing as far as most Hoosier fans are concerned.

Projected Rotation

Starters

Reserves

Overall, I believe this line-up is capable of getting in the NCAA Tournament. It would certainly help if Perea raises his level of production, but even without that - I think the guards and forwards are talented enough to carry Indiana into the post season. I expect the rotation will be around 9 players which is similar to the past few seasons. The Hoosiers will have a couple very solid players off the bench in Johnson and Davis. After that, there are a lot of question marks with Hoetzel, April, and even Tim Priller (6'9" Freshman) who is not mentioned above. To round out the roster, you have Collin Hartman (torn ACL) and Peter Jurkin who I do not believe will see much, if any, playing time next season.

So who do you think will start for Indiana next season? Let us know in the comments section.