My Two Cents: Trey Galloway, Jordan Geronimo Rise to the Occasion at the Perfect Time

Indiana was struggling and a lot of season goals were on the line Thursday. But bench guys Trey Galloway and Jordan Geronimo came on and played a huge role in the Hoosiers' 28-4 run that led to a 74-69 win over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament. Energy guys are worth their weight in gold.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Nine minutes into Indiana's game with Michigan on Thursday, Mike Woodson looked down his bench and glared at sophomore guard Trey Galloway. The Hoosiers, off to a sluggish and uninspiring start, needed a spark.

"Get in there,'' Woodson snapped, and Galloway peeled off his warmups and checked in.

Spark ignited.

Why? Because, quite simply, that's just what he does.

Galloway, the feisty sophomore guard, missed the past five games with a groin injury. And just 48 hours earlier, Woodson seemed emphatic that he was nowhere near returning.

But there he was, checking in. And making a difference right from the get-go. From doubtful to, well, no doubt.

"It was just the preparation these last couple of days with my trainer Timmy G,'' Galloway said of long-time trainer Tim Garl. ''He's been great. I knew I was going to try to play Thursday. I got ready, so it was great. It's been a lot of resting, a lot of different things treatment wise with Timmy G. Without him, I wouldn’t have been able to play today.''

Common sense would have dictated that Woodson would work him back slowly, but Galloway was right in the middle of Indiana's huge second-half run and he hardly ever came off the floor. He wound up playing 28 minutes, including 17-plus in the second half, and played a huge role in the Hoosiers' thrilling 74-69 victory.

He had three steals to lead an Indiana defensive lockdown that held Michigan without a field goal for more than 11 minutes in the second half during an Indiana 28-4 run. He also had five assists. 

It was one of the greatest halves ever played by someone who didn't score a single point. It's the energy he provides, the juice, and it made a huge difference. He finished with four points on the day — but did so much more.

“I just kept focusing on ways that I could help the team,'' Galloway said.  “I think it was our intensity on defense (that sparked the comeback run). We want to play defense to set up our offense, get stops to create. We did that.''

Jordan Geromino, a fellow sophomore, also provided a huge boost, and Woodson rode him too through the second half. He played 20 minutes total, and had five points, a couple of huge rebounds and two big blocks. He was also a lock-down defender inside on Michigan's talented bigs.

“It feels great to have my number be called and help out any way I can.,'' Geronimo said. “When we started that run, I felt like we were going to win,. But that’s just me though. I always have that confidence.

"I was just playing with energy, but preparation was also a big thing. One thing this team has is some fight. We always feel like we can come back and win.’’

Indiana has been a team that's struggled to close out games this season, but they did it on Thursday, and did it with Galloway and Geronimo on the floor. Starter Race Thompson only played eight minutes in the second half, and guard Parker Stewart only played three.

It was a signature win, for sure, probably the most important victory of the year outside of the home win over Purdue on Jan. 20. 

“Postgame, it was great. A lot of guys were just really excited,'' Galloway said of the locker room celebration. "Obviously it was a great win, but we’ve got more to go. We need to keep going. It’s challenging, playing back to back, but we have to do it.’’

The win snapped a nine-game losing streak to Michigan that dated all the way back to 2016. No Indiana player had ever beaten them before, and don't think that doesn't matter to these guys, especially with all the trash-talking that comes from Michigan players and fans.

That feeling was similar to the Purdue win back in January, too, because that ended a nine-game losing streak to the Boilers as well.

Illinois has had the Hoosiers' number, too, winning four straight games over the Hoosiers. They'd like to end that streak, too, The game starts at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday.

It's a quick turnaround for the Hoosiers, so it's going to be interesting to see how well Galloway responds overnight. Muscle injuries are tough to deal with. Come back too early, and you have bigger problems. Come back on time by fully exert yourself, and the morning after can be iffy.

There's no question that Galloway left it all on the floor on Thursday. Indiana hasn't played back-to-back days all year, so it's going to be interesting to see how he feels when they get to the gym.

There's no question Indiana is better when he's available. It's all hands on deck in a tournament like this. One thing that might be good is that only Jackson-Davis (36) and Miller Kopp (33) played more than 28 minutes. Hopefully they'll all be fresh enough against an Illinois team that hasn't played since Sunday.

It's survive and advance Friday, uncharted territory for this group. Might as well keep it going, and keep getting those sparks off the bench.

Watch the full Jordan Geronimo interview

Watch the full Trey Galloway interview

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