Mike Woodson doesn’t bestow the captain title on just anyone.
To the Indiana men’s basketball head coach, captainship with the Hoosiers bears more than seniority. It takes an ability to raise the standards of teammates, both on and off the court.
Senior guard Trey Galloway, who was named a co-captain alongside redshirt senior Xavier Johnson for the 2023-24 season, knows the implications of the label.
“It’s truly a blessing knowing all the great players and great names that have come through here and been captains,” Galloway said at Indiana’s basketball media day Sept. 20. “It comes with a big responsibility for me to really lock in and do the right things to help our team win.”
While Galloway figures to see an enhanced role as a ballhandler and 3-point shooter this season, he’s also taken on more responsibilities as a leader. Composed of a bevy of newcomers and underclassmen, Indiana lacks the chemistry and continuity it boasted in previous years.
For freshmen like point guard Gabe Cupps and forward Mackenzie Mgbako, and even some of the Hoosiers’ experienced transfers, the adjustment can be tricky. Enter Galloway, who thoroughly understands the identity of Indiana basketball.
The 5-star freshman is in line to be the Hoosiers' next one-and-done.
Leadership comes naturally to the Culver, Indiana native. Coached by his father Mark at Culver Academies, Galloway blossomed not only into a 4-star guard with enticing two-way potential, but as a player who understands the psyche of a team.
From his father, Galloway learned how to be a vocal leader and example for his teammates. Then, upon arriving a couple hours south in Bloomington in 2020, Galloway noticed the command former Indiana star and current Golden State Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis had on the team.
It was more than just being the loudest voice in a room. Jackson-Davis, whom Galloway has often lauded for his leadership ability and still text messages, prioritized building and maintaining relationships. Now, Galloway strives to do the same.
After already having borne the burden of acclimating as a freshman, Galloway is equipped to impart his wisdom to his younger teammates.
“I think just kind of checking in on them,” Galloway said regarding how he has helped the newcomers transition. “It’s hard for freshman and transfers to come in and be alright from the get-go. There’s going to be tough days for them, so I think just really checking in on them and being there for them when they need it is big.”
Alongside Johnson, who is entering his sixth season of college basketball, Galloway takes the reins with no shortage of knowledge and experience. Still, Woodson — a former Indiana captain himself — is a self-admittedly difficult coach to play for.
Rarely satisfied, Woodson expressed a desire to see more from Johnson and Galloway both in terms of helping the team win, and in serving as a model for what it means to be an Indiana basketball player.
“I’m hard on captains,” Woodson said. “I’ve always been that way. Bob Knight was hard on me as a captain when I was here. You’re not given that title just to be given it.”
It was the type of run that showed fans just about everything they need to know about Galloway.
Against then-No. 5 Purdue on Feb. 25 last season, trailing 40-34, Indiana unleashed a 12-0 scoring barrage early in the second half. Sparked by 8 points, an assist and ferocious defensive efforts from Galloway, the Hoosiers took their first lead of the game — one they ultimately wouldn’t relinquish in the upset victory.
Galloway finished the game with 13 points — tied for second on the team — five assists and four boards. Just a few weeks prior, facing the then-top ranked Boilermakers, Galloway recorded the second most minutes on the team and notched 11 points en route to the 79-74 court-storm inducing win at Assembly Hall.
His ascension to fan favorite is unsurprising. In less than a month, Galloway played an invaluable role in two wins against the team Hoosier fans grow up loathing. His long, flopping dark hair and insatiable desire to make winning plays add to the allure.
The Hoosiers lost several key players from the 2022-23 team.
He plays fearlessly. Dubbed “crazy man” by Jackson-Davis, Galloway will leave his feet to try to score over any player in his way — he nearly converted a one-handed dunk over Purdue 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey last season.
“He plays hard, man,” Woodson said of Galloway after Indiana’s win Feb. 25. “That’s what I like about him. He’s got a nice basketball sense.”
There are aspects of Galloway’s game that coaching and countless hours in the gym can’t teach. Tenacity is one of them. So is leadership. But shooting is something that Galloway has improved upon through training, as evidenced by his marked improvement last season.
In Galloway’s first two seasons, he made a combined 12 3-pointers, shooting 18% as a freshman and 21.4% as a sophomore. Last year, though, Galloway drained 30 of his 65 shots from beyond the arc, good for a 46% clip. While he looks to further his volume this season, his potential to be a lethal 3-point option was evident.
Trey Galloway's got two early treys. ?@TreyGalloway32 x @IndianaMBB pic.twitter.com/uq9NrCbNa1
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) January 22, 2023
Part of Galloway’s development stemmed from understanding his teammates. He said he extensively studied film to learn the tendencies of players like Johnson and pinpoint exactly where to position himself to find favorable looks.
Throughout the summer, Galloway continued to refine his shooting from range.
“Trey Galloway had a great summer shooting the ball,” Johnson said at Big Ten Media Days on Oct. 10. “We want him to continue to keep growing upon that. He’s a great shooter. A great shooter.”
Defensively, Galloway’s prowess is well-documented. Last season, he was often tasked with guarding opposing team’s best players — a role tailor-made for his marauding nature. Woodson threw a lot at Galloway on the defensive end, but he answered the call.
Growing up with his father as a coach, Galloway learned from a young age how best to execute instructions to his advantage on the court. As his trust and rapport continues to grow with Woodson, so does Galloway’s confidence.
“He believes in my game, and I got to believe in my game, as well,” Galloway said.
Win is a word Galloway uses almost ad nauseam. When talking about Mgbako at Big Ten Media Days, Galloway pointed out how the freshman carries himself, and of course, how much he wants to win.
It isn’t just a tired cliché for Galloway. Growing up a Hoosier fan, he’s well aware of the program’s historical success. When he says he wants to make winning plays, it’s not a cop out answer.
For the last three years, Galloway has spent innumerable hours playing on a court stationed beneath five championship banners. Whenever he gazes up, he’s reminded of the reason why he’s chosen this path.
“It’s definitely motivation,” Galloway said. “You see that every day in practice — it’s what you’re trying to reach. We got to really fight and believe because if you don’t believe it’s not going to happen.”
Following last season’s loss to the University of Miami in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, the team’s disappointment was heavy. Galloway said he still hasn’t totally moved past the defeat.
After seniors like Jackson-Davis and Race Thompson — players woven into the fabric of the team’s culture — departed, Galloway hoped to continue their legacies. Now, heading into his senior season, it’s unsurprising all he wants to do is win.
Ask him how he wants to be remembered as a Hoosier, and he’ll tell you the same thing.
“I think,” Galloway said. “I just want to be remembered as a winner.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
