IU Insider Q&A: Hoops recruiting, potential football upsets

It's been a busy week, between the basketball news and football's impending home opener. We haven't met for a mailbag in a while, so let's get to your questions!

@morningmarsden tweets: "What does the Josh Newkirk commitment say about where IU stands with 2016 guards?"

I think we'll know more as we get deeper into the fall with the Curtis Jones, Bruce Brown, etc., recruitments. Here's my educated opinion though: Don't read too much into it, at least not yet.

Tom Crean actually acknowledged last week something that we've talked about before.

"As crazy as it sounds, I wanted another guard, because I think we need it," he said. "I don't think we're as strong there as we appear on paper."

Indiana has four scholarship players on its roster right now that are listed as guards. A fifth player, Troy Williams, will probably handle the ball this season as well. Of those five, two are seniors, and two more -- Williams and James Blackmon Jr. -- might have NBA decisions to make next spring. That's a lot of potential attrition.

Obviously, IU has been targeting guards heavily, and already added one in Grant Gelon. How much will he handle the ball? That's hard to say. It's not his No. 1 strength right now.

The Newkirk commitment could be a signal that Indiana has lost ground somewhere in recruiting. But given the questions even I have over current and future guard depth, I'm ready to trust Crean at his word here. IU had a scholarship open when it took Newkirk, and this helps avoid another roster overloaded with freshmen in key spots next season. I think it's early to say whether it's reflective of recruiting momentum, good or bad.

@ufolover173 tweets: "Who is most ready to give backup center help now that Emmitt Holt has been banished, not that we have a true starting center?"

Max Bielfeldt is obviously the first name on this list. Indiana will have to lean more heavily on him, and his acquisition in early June is suddenly looking much more astute. Beyond that, the Hoosiers will need Juwan Morgan to be ready for at least 10-12 minutes per game as a freshman, and maybe for Collin Hartman to see more time around the post than was previously planned.

This all assumes, of course, that Thomas Bryant is your starter down low.

If IU wants to go bigger with its starting lineups, which could be possible, then managing frontcourt depth becomes even trickier.

@PatrickMinton tweets: "I feel like (James Blackmon Jr.) will leave for the NBA regardless of if he improves or not. Any chance he's back for his junior year?"

I think there's absolutely a chance. Even if a player has his mind made up about a decision before a season starts, there is plenty that can happen to change it.

Blackmon is undoubtedly a player with NBA potential. He's also a level-headed kid from a smart family, one with a deep basketball background. If there's reason to consider leaving, I'm sure they'll examine it. But on Sept. 3, it's impossible to say what's going to affect that process in April.

@noahwhyde10 tweets: "What are the chances of landing Miles Bridges?"

Tough to handicap. By all accounts, his visit last weekend went well. But the Kentucky-Michigan State dynamic is still heavily in play.

Indiana has had its chance to make its case. Right now, I would expect Bridges to see out his other official visits. It's hard to say more than that.

@hoosierballer tweets: "If Nate Sudfeld got injured, who would replace him?"

Good question, with a simple answer. Zander Diamont is IU's No. 2 quarterback. He would replace Sudfeld in the event of injury.

Kevin Wilson has said Danny Cameron will handle non-essential backup duties (mop-up snaps at the end of games), so Indiana can get Diamont's redshirt year back if it doesn't need him.

So basically, if IU needs a backup quarterback, it will be Diamont. If it just needs a quarterback to see out the end of a long-decided game, it will be Cameron.

@lukebilotta tweets: "Which game is the best chance for IU to pull off an upset?"

This is a tough question, because there are a lot of games on Indiana's schedule that are tough to read right now. Where, for example, are Rutgers, Michigan, Iowa, Maryland or even Purdue by the time the Hoosiers meet them? And where's Indiana?

There's uncertainty all over the Big Ten right now, and it's hard to tell exactly how the mental wear and tear of the season will affect some of the teams that would qualify as potential answers to your question. (To use just one example: Is Kyle Flood's rapidly deteriorating situation at Rutgers going to harden or derail the Scarlet Knights?)

I'll reach for Iowa, as my answer today. Kirk Ferentz's job performance is being called into question, the Hoosiers have played Iowa tough lately and beat them the last time the Hawkeyes came to Bloomington. But this answer could easily change by mid-October.

@UTKnocksville tweets: "Which #iufb shows up for out of conference in '15? The one that beat Missouri last year, or the one that lost to Bowling Green?"

A good question, and one we probably won't have an answer for until Week 3. Western Kentucky is the kind of opponent (think Ball State, Navy, Bowling Green) that has tripped up Indiana in the recent past, and the Hilltoppers' strength -- their passing attack -- is Indiana's weakness.

Win that game, and I'm ready to say this IU team can get bowl eligible, that it has the mental toughness to break that glass ceiling. Lose to the Hilltoppers, or to either of its first two opponents, and questions will remain.

Got questions about the Hoosiers? Get them answered in our weekly mailbag! Just tweet your questions to IU Insider Zach Osterman via @ZachOsterman, or email them to zach.osterman@indystar.com, then check back every Thursday for the answers!