With the start of college basketball season approaching, we’ve moved from our look at other Big Ten programs to our player-by-player previews of the 2024-25 Indiana roster.
Today, our player profiles continue with fifth-year senior Trey Galloway.
Previously: Bryson Tucker, Jakai Newton, Myles Rice, Mackenzie Mgbako, Gabe Cupps, Kanaan Carlyle, Malik Reneau, Oumar Ballo, Dallas James, Langdon Hatton, Luke Goode
A team captain, Trey Galloway enjoyed his best season yet last winter at Indiana.
The 6-foot-5 guard, one of the last holdovers from the Archie Miller era in Bloomington, averaged career highs in points per game (10.6), assists (4.6), steals (1.2) and minutes (33.4).
With Xavier Johnson frequently out of the lineup due to injury, Galloway regularly took over the ball handling and playmaking duties for the Hoosiers. And he thrived at times in that role.
In Big Ten play, Galloway amassed 105 assists, the second-most in program history. His assist rate of 28.8 percent ranked sixth in the conference. He was also more efficient as a finisher and from inside the 3-point arc in his fourth season. Galloway shot 58 percent on 2s last season, up from 48 percent in his third season.
Galloway’s perimeter shooting, however, regressed. In his third season for the Hoosiers, he primarily operated off the ball as a spot-up shooter on the wing. Galloway connected at a 46.2 percent clip from distance, a massive jump from his first two seasons as a Hoosier.
Last season, however, Galloway never looked comfortable from the perimeter and his shooting percentages plummeted. The Culver Academies product shot 26 percent from distance overall and 23.5 percent in Big Ten play.
While not known as a go-to scorer through his first three seasons in Bloomington, Galloway had several scoring outbursts last season. In a narrow 75-71 loss to Kansas on Dec. 16 in Bloomington, Galloway torched the Jayhawks for a career-best 28 points on 12-for-17 shooting. In an impressive come-from-behind win at Ohio State on Feb. 6, Galloway poured in 25 points and dished out the game-winning assist to Anthony Leal for a corner 3-pointer.
Unfortunately for Galloway and the Hoosiers, he suffered a knee injury in IU’s final home game, a 65-64 win against Michigan State. Galloway logged just seven minutes in the win. He then missed IU’s games against Penn State and Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament before undergoing offseason knee surgery.
With a little more than three weeks to go until the start of the regular season, Galloway hopes to be ready for the opener against SIU-Edwardsville in Bloomington.
Throughout the preseason, Mike Woodson and Galloway have stated that the program has been cautious in integrating him back into team activities. As of Big Ten media day earlier this month in Chicago, Galloway said he had yet to be involved in full contact in workouts. We should know more about Galloway’s status with Hoosier Hysteria this Friday night and an exhibition game against Tennessee only 12 days away.
Assuming he’s healthy and ready to play when the season begins, Galloway will fill various roles for the Hoosiers in his fifth season. He’s once again a team captain. He’s Indiana’s most experienced player and has the full trust of Woodson. Whether he starts alongside Myles Rice in the backcourt or serves as a backup to Kanaan Carlyle, Galloway will be an integral part of the Indiana rotation.
For Galloway to reach his ceiling in his final season, his shooting numbers must improve. He’s a career 30.1-point shooter and a 60.4-percent free-throw shooter, which has been a part of the problem for a program lacking shooting. With better players around him, there will be less focus on Galloway this season from opposing defenses. As a result, he should be able to get more favorable looks from the perimeter.
Bottom line: A fan favorite at Indiana, Galloway always brings grit and energy to the Assembly Hall floor. Last season was his most productive yet statistically as a Hoosier. This season, however, the focus for Galloway and the Hoosiers is winning. Galloway returned for a fifth season to go out a winner and Indiana has aspirations to compete for the Big Ten title and a deep NCAA tournament run.
Quotable: “I would say just the family aspect of it and being home. This is the place where I call home and it would have been hard to go anywhere else. I’m really excited and I’ve got some unfinished business to take care of.” – Galloway at media day on why he decided to come back to Indiana for a fifth season.
Media day interviews with Galloway:
Filed to: 2024-25 season preview, Trey Galloway
