James Blackmon will miss 6-8 weeks after knee surgery

Pretty much out of nowhere, Pete Thamel of SI dropped this nugget on us:

Some Indiana hoops news. Hoosier guard James Blackmon Jr. had surgery last week and is out until Sept. http://t.co/vXPoI1ev2E

— Pete Thamel  (@SIPeteThamel) July 14, 2015

For those keeping a close eye on Indiana's offseason workouts, you've probably noticed Blackmon's conspicuous absence in many of the videos, photos, and snapchats sent out by the program. Most dismissed it as nothing to be concerned about but the SI report has given some clarity to the situation.

Tom Crean confirmed there was no ligament damage and the surgery was limited to the knee's cartilage. He is projected to be full strength by mid-September, well ahead of the start of the season.

We'll keep you posted if any other details to this story emerge, but as we know, Indiana has always been fairly tight-lipped about their injuries across all programs.