After word broke of polarizing prospect Liam McNeeley's de-commitment from IU, it looked like all hope for a potential bounce back season in 2024-2025 was gone.
That was until Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal took it upon themselves to resuscitate the energy that makes IU such a storied program prior to the start of their "final" regular season home game at Assembly Hall:
Not done yet! ⚪️🔴@anthonyl3al ❌ @TreyGalloway32 pic.twitter.com/D0DbCDl0BA
— Indiana Basketball (@IndianaMBB) March 11, 2024
These two have both grown into absolutely adored members of the cream and crimson family, with Leal in particular beginning to truly prove worthy of his place on this team (and more specifically on the court) since the start of 2024. His ascension from benchwarmer to essential contributor has been a revelation for a team that has endured a treacherous trek throughout the year.
It is the return of Galloway, however, that fans should be most thankful for. The 6'5" product of Culver Academy has blossomed into a bonafide floor general this season. From the start of February through the conclusion of the victory on the road at Minnesota, he averaged a whopping 7.1 assists per game. Even after leaving yesterday's game early with a knee injury (which we pray is not serious) and finishing with zero dimes, he is still #6 in the Big Ten in terms of assists per game (4.6 on the season).
In his first 3 seasons, Trey Galloway won the hearts of the candy stripe faithful via his infectious energy on both ends of the floor. He rolls his sleeves up each and every possession on the defensive end, and he is never afraid to take on the most difficult matchup. Galloway has consistently shown a willingness to do whatever is needed of him, and while he may never go down as one of the top players in IUBB history there is no doubting that he has etched an everlasting mark on this program.
Perhaps he has not had the most successful season in regards to scoring (10.6 PPG on shooting splits of 46.6% FG/26.0% 3/53.3% FT), but maybe the leap everyone was looking for in that department will come next season. It is fair to assume that nobody envisioned his growth as a table setter this year, so it will be interesting to see if he can take that next step as a lead guard. We may be getting a bit giddy, but Galloway could be an early 2024-2025 Big Ten Player of the Year candidate.
Trey Galloway (and Anthony Leal!) embodies the principles and values that make up the composition of Indiana men's basketball, and we are incredibly blessed to have him back for another year!