There are a few certainties in life...

...and one of them is not the Hoosiers starting line-up. I promise to never begin a story like that again.

One of the most popular discussions this summer has been attempting to predict the Hoosiers starting line-up for the fall. This proves to be pretty difficult when you take three things into factor:

1. Teams rarely have the same starting line-up all season. 2. With the Hoosiers influx of forwards it isn't clear at this time whether they will go with a three-guard line-up or not. 3. Kelvin Sampson's mind is a steel trap. He gives no hints. He has the poker face of Phil Ivey.

The entire starting line-up isn't impossible to predict. The backcourt will most likely feature Armon Bassett at the point and Eric Gordon at shooting guard. And you know D.J. White will be somewhere in the post. But after those three, things begin to get foggy.

Most people I've talked to are assuming Jamarcus Ellis will start at the 3, with the power forward position being somewhat of a crapshoot (for lack of a better word). Let's take a look at the candidates for the position:

Lance Stemler - Senior - 6-foot-8, 210 pounds 2006-2007: 6.6 ppg and 4.1 rpg in 30 games (19 starts) Breakdown: Stemler is a proven commodity, and although he struggled with his shooting last season, I would expect Sampson to lean towards him early in the season. Not to make excuses for Stemler, but he did play injured a significant portion of year. He hit 38-115 (33%) shots from 3-point range last season, but provides very little defensively. He managed only six blocks in 714 minutes last season. Despite that, I expect Stemler to begin the season in the starting line-up thanks to his ability to spread the floor and his experience.

DeAndre Thomas - Junior - 6-foot-8, 320 pounds 2006-2007: 14.9 ppg and 5.8 rebounds at Chipola. Shot 60.7% from the field. Breakdown: The question for Thomas isn't what he brings to the Hoosiers (size and a low post threat), the question is how long can he stay on the floor? There are two things that are going to keep Thomas from the hardwood this season: quick fouls and conditioning. Let's say the Hoosier coaches are right and they can get Thomas down to 290 by the season, that will enable him to play 20 minutes a night, no problem. But what about his defense? He can body centers, but he is a work in progress in any other situation. On offense, Thomas can score and is a legitimate threat with the ball in his hands. His chemistry with Ellis should help him capitalize on easy baskets. If Stemler is the favorite for the starting job, Thomas is a close second.

Eli Holman - Freshman - 6-foot-9, 220(ish) pounds 2006-2007:: 24.7 ppg, 12 rpg and 10 bpg as a senior at Richmond HS. Breakdown: Holman is a great long-term candidate for this position, but on short notice he might be a dark horse candidate at best. He was named the top defensive player in northern California last season, but that's what happens when you're 6-9 playing against kids who couldn't make the Noblesville barnstorming team (no disrespect, Adnan Hodzic). If Holman is right, and he has bulked up to 240 pounds like he said, then Holman's chance of playing increase significantly. He'll be a spectacular off-the-ball defender and will come in and block shots immediately (think a more athletic George Leach). Offensively, he'll be limited mostly to put backs and dunks. If Sampson weighs Holman's value as a defender over his weakness as a freshman, I could possibly see Holman as a starter at some point this season.

The other candidates...

Ben Allen - Junior - 6-foot-11, 256 pounds Breakdown: Only if the Hoosiers really, really need some size.

Brandon McGee - Freshman - 6-foot-7, 220 pounds Breakdown: Likely too inexperienced. I see Xavier Keeling type minutes for McGee this season.

Mike White - Junior - 6-foot-6, 232 pounds Breakdown: A possible starter...on senior night.

Finally, out of pure amusement, below is my projected depth chart. There are about 1,000 different ways to do depth charts. I decided to include every player on the roster and use a traditional line-up. And for the record, this is the most impressive thing I've ever done using HTML...