Indiana basketball: Trey Galloway is ready for a leadership role

Of Indiana men’s basketball’s five regular starters in 2022-23, four have left the program in the offseason be it for the NBA or having exhausted their eligibility.

The one who remains is Trey Galloway. A senior, he’ll have the challenge of not just filling the gap on the court, but off of it. Without Trayce Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson, Indiana will have to seek leadership from elsewhere. Galloway is ready for that challenge.

“I’m a senior now and I’ve been here the longest with this coaching staff. And I know what it takes,” Galloway said during a media availability last week.

Mike Woodson has long expressed admiration for Galloway’s approach to the game. Ask his coach about him and the first thing he’ll say is just about always “He plays hard.” His teammates call him “crazy man” for his drive and on-court reactions.

Galloway’s drive will be key to his leadership approach as he seeks to lead by example. He’ll take after Miller Kopp, whom Galloway said was always in the gym getting shots up and working on his game with free time.

That approach is particularly appealing to a coach like Woodson, who emphasizes defense from his roster. In return for that dedication, Galloway got some of the toughest assignments last season, often being matched against the opposing team’s lead guard.

On the offensive end, Galloway improved his 3-point shooting from 21.4 as a sophomore to 46.2 as a junior, albeit on limited attempts. He stepped up last season, going from a sixth man to a starter to help fill in for Xavier Johnson, but he’ll enter his senior season as a projected starter alongside him.

A Johnson-Galloway backcourt projects to be particularly valuable on the defensive end.

“I want to guard the best players on their team,” Galloway said. “I want that assignment every night. I think just keeping that and being willing to guard whoever it is, every night, that’s that’s one thing I like to do. I take pride in that.”