After being largely overshadowed by the commitment of one of the nation's top 2020 incoming freshman in Khristian Landers, Trey Galloway's pact with the Indiana Hoosiers was not meant with a ton of exhilaration among the fanbase. Despite a decorated high school playing career full of winning at Indiana's Culver Academies, where he was coached by his father, Galloway arrived in Bloomington a bit under the radar.
It did not take long for him to make himself known. During his freshman season, he rapidly ascended into a key role in the rotation and averaged just under 20 minutes a night for former Hoosier coach Archie Miller. His box score numbers had an inverse relationship with his on-court impact, as he brought an abundant spark of energy on both ends. He earned his minutes through his persistent point of attack defense, and it did not take long for Hoosier fans to see a keeper in him.
When Archie Miller (the one who had closed Trey's commitment) was relieved of his duties following Galloway's freshman season, it was unclear whether the guard would seek other opportunities via the transfer portal. He chose to neglect that consideration and return to B-Town under Mike Woodson's guidance, and has turned in 2 additional full seasons of solid (not spectacular) play. Along with his continued spirit as a defender and energizer, he briefly boosted each of his primary statistical categories (minutes, points, rebounds, assists) in each of his first 3 campaigns. Given that trajectory, it was almost a foregone conclusion that he could be in store for a genuine breakout season in 2023-2024.
The per-game scoring and assists numbers have inched a bit taller in his senior year (8.8 and a team-leading 3.1, respectively), but he has taken a major step backwards in the art of efficiency (44.3/13.6/56.0 shooting slashes through 9 games). And while his scoring has seen a minor uptick, it is safe to say that most within the program would have hoped for at least a double-digit scoring average from one of the senior leaders. There was a good deal of excitement building this offseason within Bloomington regarding Galloway's continued development, but it has yet to translate to any significant leaps from him as someone who can really move the needle.
As the end of 2023 approaches, the Indiana Hoosiers are going to need Trey Galloway to elevate his game if this team is going to be up to the task of making an NCAA tournament run. Time will tell if the senior is up to his personal task to deliver within the team's grander set of goals.