Indiana Veteran Trey Galloway Wants To Go Out On High Note

Trey Galloway talked about how excited he is for his final Indiana season, his role and how he can fix his 3-point shot.

Indiana's Trey Galloway (32) celebrates hitting a big three pointer during the second half of the Indiana versus Kansas men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023. / Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trey Galloway … elder statesman?

It might be a weird turn-of-phrase to use for someone still in their early 20s, but that’s what Galloway is for the Indiana men’s basketball team.

He’s been with the Hoosiers since 2020. His playing career has involved two coaches (Archie Miller and Mike Woodson) and will span three presidential terms.

Like most players nearing the end of their college eligibility, Galloway acknowledged that time has passed rapidly. Knowing that, he wants to make sure his final season at Indiana is a successful one.

“It's different (being an older player). Coming in my freshman year, it was just like yesterday,” Galloway said during Indiana basketball media day in September.

“It’s weird to think about it that way (being an elder statesman), but it's also just nice to know that I've been here for four years now and I have experience,” Galloway added. “And obviously, I want to win at the highest level. I think we can have a chance to really do that this year.”

If Indiana does what Galloway thinks they can do, he’ll likely be the same jack-of-all-trades player he’s always been with the Hoosiers.

At various times, Galloway has been a designated defender on the perimeter, an off-ball foil for point guard Xavier Johnson, a rim-driving penetrator, a spot-up off-ball perimeter shooting option for Indiana bigs passing out of the paint, and finally, the point guard running the show.

Galloway has been better at some roles than others, but his versatility has made him a valuable tool for Woodson and the Indiana coaching staff. And it has covered up some of the Hoosiers’ roster shortcomings.

Iowa Hawkeyes forward Payton Sandfort (20) dribbles the ball while Indiana Hoosiers guard Trey Galloway (32) defends in the first half at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

That is not expected to be a problem for the 2024-25 season. Indiana addressed shooting concerns by signing Luke Goode from Illinois, Kanaan Carlyle from Stanford and Myles Rice from Washington State.

Rice can also play point guard, so Galloway won’t have to necessarily run the show. More options in the backcourt should make Galloway’s life easier.

“We put this together for a reason. So it all just comes down to us molding together, doing the right things and taking it day by day and getting better each and every day,” Galloway said.

“I mean, they're game changers,” Galloway continued, referring to Carlyle and Rice. “Both those guys really can score the ball and do many things that are going to help this team win. They bring a different feel just because the way they can push the pace and do so many things on the offensive end as well as play defense. I'm very excited to have those guys alongside all of us.”

So where does that leave Galloway? That remains to be seen. The knee surgery he had in April has kept him out of full contact practice for nearly all of the offseason. The chance to fully integrate with both new and old teammates wasn’t there.

If he returns fully healthy, he could start with Rice, a role he’s had before when Johnson ran the point. He could play with Carlyle and Rice in a three-guard lineup. He could be used as a sort of defensive stopper in specific situations. He could come off the bench as a very experienced boost of quality.

The point is that Galloway can do all of the above, which makes him a valuable commodity.

“I’m just coming in to impact the game in many ways, like I've always done,” said Galloway, when asked about his role. “That's one thing I feel like I've done a great job at. And so I think just continuing to do that and help us win.”

Galloway then elaborated a bit more on how his role fits in with the grand scheme of the Indiana backcourt.

“We’ve got a lot of guys that can bring the ball up and can make plays. So it's not as much just me doing that. There's many guys that can do that,” he explained. “I'm very excited about that, because I'll be able to put off the ball a little bit more and do some other things as well.”

“I mean, I've been able to adjust and every year I've not played the same role, so obviously it's going to be a different role, because I change every year,” Galloway continued. “So whatever the coaches need me to do, that's what I do, and I'm trying to do my best. And whatever it is, it's going to work.”

Dec 1, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Trey Galloway (32) shoots the ball in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

To make it work, Galloway has to improve his shooting. An aspect of Indiana’s disappointing 19-14 season was Galloway’s diminished shooting percentage from 3-point range.

He dropped from 46.2% in 2023 to 26% from long range in 2024. It was a big reason why Indiana’s 3-point shooting tailed off as much as it did, especially in the first half of the 2023-24 season.

Galloway took more threes (3.2 attempts vs. 2 in 2023), but he took them in a different manner than he did when playing off of Trayce Jackson-Davis and others in 2023. He’s hoping Indiana can get back to the kind of offense that gave him shots he’s more comfortable taking.

And yes, Galloway also acknowledged that his confidence needs to remain at an even keel, too.

“I definitely got a lot more spot-ups two years ago with Trayce. He was able to pass and do a lot of things. Last year was a lot more (about) creating my own shots,” Galloway explained.

“I have to just keep working on being able to create my shot and make shots off the dribble, off the bounce. It's a big thing,” Galloway continued. “I worked on it a bunch of summer as well as just being confident knocking it down when I get the chance, because we’ve got bigs that can pass it.”

There was conjecture toward the end of the 2024 season that Galloway might move on to finish his eligibility elsewhere. That rumor was squelched when Galloway announced during Senior Night ceremonies that he was coming back.

Nothing that has happened at Indiana since has shaken his belief that he made the right decision. Expectations are high again for the Hoosiers, who were picked second in the Big Ten preseason media poll.

“The family aspect of it and this being home,” said Galloway when asked what convinced him to stay. “This is the place where I call home and it would have been hard to go anywhere else. I'm really excited just to have some unfinished business to take care of.”

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