Trey Galloway Improved 3-Point Efficiency Last Year; Now Can He Increase Volume?

Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers must replace plenty of scoring from last year, and one solution is more 3-point attempts from Trey Galloway, who increased his 3-point percentage by nearly 25 percent last season.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trey Galloway made a statistical leap more jarring than any other Hoosier last season.

With constant game-like reps came more confidence to let 3-point shots fly and a noticeably higher shooting arc. And it showed in his numbers. After making 12-of-61 attempts, or 19.6%, during his freshman and sophomore seasons, Galloway connected on 30-of-65, or 46.2%, of all 3-point attempts last season as a junior.

But for an Indiana team needing to replace its three most productive 3-point shooters from last season, as well as starters Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, Galloway’s development as a shooter has to keep progressing. He improved his efficiency last year, and now he wants to increase his 3-point shooting volume. Indiana needs it badly.

After losing six key rotational players, many thought coach Mike Woodson would add a veteran guard or a reliable 3-point shooter in the transfer portal. Indiana was connected to several, but none came to Bloomington.

Woodson stood pat with five scholarship guards – Galloway, Xavier Johnson, CJ Gunn, Gabe Cupps and Anthony Leal – three of which are unproven at the college level. Galloway started 25 games for Indiana last year after Johnson went down, so it’s nothing new for him. But this roster construction means Galloway has a guaranteed spot in the 2023-24 starting lineup.

Indiana Hoosiers guard Trey Galloway (32) shoots the ball against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the second half at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

There are plenty of shots to go around – 26.7 per game, just counting Jackson-Davis and Hood-Schifino – and Galloway will get his fair share. He took 5.1 shots per game last season, two of which came from 3-point land. Galloway finished the year fourth among Hoosiers in both 3-point attempts and makes, but these numbers still pale in comparison to the Big Ten’s best, from a volume standpoint. For reference, conference leader Andrew Funk attempted 7.4 threes per game last year, and Kopp, 13th in makes, took 4.1.

Galloway has rarely, if ever, been known to chuck up bad shots, and this isn’t to suggest he should. But due to Indiana’s departures, Woodson could rely on Galloway to double his 3-point attempts per game to four or more, even if that means a manageable downtick in efficiency. For Indiana to be at its best offensively, it’ll need more than the 30 3-pointers Galloway made in 32 games last year.

And for Galloway, there’s a balance to strike.

“Obviously I want to increase the volume,” Galloway said at Big Ten media days. “And that all just starts with knowing what shots to take and the right shots to take and being more ready to take shots and knowing when the ball’s coming to me. Because I’ve got a great point guard right here that I know is going to find me and trust me to make shots.”

Indiana’s starting backcourt, Johnson and Galloway, are by far the most experienced Hoosiers, especially when it comes to playing on the court together. Galloway feels their chemistry could help him shoot more threes this season, especially with Johnson’s quick first step. He’s worked on moving without the ball when Johnson drives so he’s in the best position for open shots when Johnson kicks it out.

“I think just having [Johnson] be able to get downhill and draw guys off me because they’ve got to stop him, that’s going to be good,” Galloway said. “Same thing, I’m going to return it to him as well because he can make shots as well.”

Along with constant repetition over the summer, Galloway has used film study to help this aspect of his game. When watching film, Galloway is mindful of where shots will come within Indiana’s offense. He identifies the “right” spots, then practices those game-like shots and situations.

His teammates are motivating him, too.

“Trey Galloway had a great summer shooting the ball,” Johnson said at Big Ten media days. “We honestly want him to shoot the ball as well. He shot about 50 percent from three last year, and we want him to continue building upon that. He’s a great shooter.”

While 3-point shooting volume is a clear personal development goal for Galloway, it doesn’t detract from the other ways he wants to contribute or his team-wide aspirations. Galloway can still be expected to give Indiana stingy perimeter defense, dive for loose balls and do all of the cliché dirty work of one of college basketball’s top “glue guys.”

But most of all, he wants to win.

Galloway is a senior now, and while he could return for a fifth season, he’s spoken with a similar sense of urgency to Johnson, who won’t get a seventh year, and Woodson, who has maintained his annual goal of a Big Ten championship.

“I’d say honestly just continue to help our team win,” Galloway said in regard to his next step. “I think that’s a big thing for me, because we have goals that we want to achieve.”

“The ending of last year hurt all of us, and I think for me, obviously there’s individual goals you want to improve on in your game and stuff like that, but the main focus for me is just how can I help my team win and how can I help us succeed and win the Big Ten.”

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