The Indiana basketball program is going to look a whole lot different with many new faces coming in this season plus the new versatile style of play that is expected to take place.
While there are many new faces to the program, the Hoosiers will return six players with the experience to help lead the new group.
Earlier this offseason, we took a look at all the new players in our Indiana basketball Newcomer Focus series. Now, we will focus on the guys that will return for Mike Woodson and Indiana this upcoming season.
For today, we take a look at senior guard Trey Galloway and look back at last year plus his role for the 2023-2024 Indiana basketball season.
Other Players in this series: Xavier Johnson
Last Season Reflection
Galloway came into last season having missed most of the summer recovering from groin surgery. The surgery would be successful and he would not miss any time when the 2022-23 season started.
At the start of last year, Galloway’s role was a familiar one as he was viewed as Indiana’s ‘sixth man’ and was usually the first player off the bench for Mike Woodson.
In his first few seasons with Indiana, Galloway was always viewed as a valuable bench piece that often provided a much needed spark of energy for the Hoosiers.
However, his role as a bench piece would quickly change due to injuries in the Indiana basketball backcourt.
As freshman guard Jalen Hood-Schifino would fight a nagging injury at the early part of the 2022-23 season, Galloway would be inserted in the starting lineup from time-to-time.
His starting spot would become a more permanent one when senior guard Xavier Johnson would go down with a broken foot in December at Kansas. From the December 17th to when Indiana’s season came to an end with a defeat by Miami (FL) in the Round of 32, Galloway was a part of the starting backcourt for Indiana alongside Hood-Schifino.
Being a starter for Indiana was a role that was not as natural for the Culver, Indiana native at the start but as the season went on, he did an overall solid job as Indiana’s secondary ballhandler.
In 32 total games played, which included 25 starts, Galloway averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. From a statistical standpoint, this was his best season yet as a part of the IU basketball program.
The main improvement that most fans and media saw last season was his shot making, especially from beyond the arc.
In his freshman and sophomore season for the Hoosiers, Galloways scoring came mostly around the basket off strong drives but last year, he showed an ability to stretch his game out shooting 46.2% (30-of-65) from three.
Galloway went from shooting 18.2 percent from three as a freshman to 21.4 percent as a sophomore. Then, as a junior he shot 46.2 percent from three. Galloway ranked second in the entire Big Ten in three-point percentage.
During his offseason recovery last summer, Galloway worked especially hard on his shooting since he was not able to much activity.
“I spent a lot of time just working on my shot and really critiquing it,” Galloway said over Zoom on earlier this summer. “And it wasn’t like a big jump or change or anything. But I really just tried to focus on just going back to my mechanics and doing the little things that helped me be able to make shots in games, and that was game reps and doing everything 100 percent when I was shooting and working on it.
“So I just spent a lot of time just getting a lot of reps and obviously with the help of the coaches, some of those guys really helped me develop that and get back to where I used to be.
“… I think Coach (Brian) Walsh really took time to truly help me with that, as well as Jordy Hulls. Those were two of the main guys that worked with me a lot last summer when I was out with the injury. So that was really all I was doing was shooting. So it was good.”
More: Player Q&A – Indiana basketball guard Trey Galloway discusses offseason development
Role for 2023-24 Season
Galloway’s role for this season should be a continuation of what it was last season as Indiana’s secondary ballhandler, only this time it will be alongside a returning Xavier Johnson.
As his fourth season at Indiana, Galloway will also be viewed as one of the leaders for both the backcourt and the entire team.
Having played two seasons now under Mike Woodson, Galloway knows what to expect. He is also expected to have a more comfortable feel for the starting role than he may have had last season and the years prior.
Galloway will likely see a major jump in his scoring production as well. Each of his 3 years at Indiana, Galloway has seen his scoring numbers increase each season.
With Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jalen Hood-Schifino and other offensive pieces from last year’s IU basketball team no longer there, Galloway will have a chance to step up in that area.
“I don’t really expect much change. I mean, obviously we do lose a lot of scoring and we know that, so I definitely can step it up there. But I think just doing the same things, all the little things that I’ve been known for doing, I feel like I can keep doing those,” Galloway said. ” … just whatever they need me to do, I’m willing to do. I think just expanding my game more on the offensive end, it’s gonna be a big thing for me this year.”
Where Galloway could really benefit the Hoosiers is continuing to make shots from three. Indiana is still in search of a knockdown shooter from deep and if he can build off of his improvements from three-point shooting last season, Galloway has as good of chance as anyone to fill that role.
After all, he went from making 12 3s combined in his first two seasons to 30 made 3s last year. If his scoring numbers increase like projected, that will likely mean his three-point shot making will improve also.
On the defensive end, the backcourt combo of both Galloway and Johnson have all the potential to be the best duos in the Big Ten defensively. With Johnson out for the most of last season, Galloway was positioned as the leading on-ball defender and with both expected to play the whole season, Indiana has two really good options there.
It has been beat to death how young and inexperienced this Indiana team is going to rely on untapped potential, but with someone like Galloway returning as one of the veteran guys that has the experience, this Indiana team has a chance to be successful.
Notable Quotes
“I think just stepping up overall in every aspect because I am senior now and I have been here the longest with this coaching staff,” said Trey Galloway when asked what challenges the coaches gave him going into this offseason. “I know what it takes. So I think just my leadership, leading on the court, off the court.”
“We had a really good group of seniors last year and older guys that really stepped up,” Galloway said. “Miller (Kopp), just the way he led by example was special. He was a guy that never missed a practice and was always in the gym working on his game. He was a really good example that I want to follow just because of the way he worked on the court and the example he led off the court, as well. He was just a special, special guy. He wasn’t our captain, but he was for sure our leader and definitely showed ways to help win. He was a main guy that I looked up to, as well as Trayce (Jackson-Davis) and Race (Thompson). Both were special too because they wanted to win as much as anybody.
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