Trey Galloway, seated on Indiana men’s basketball’s bench, held his hands on his knees and faced the floor. Moments later, he leaned back and placed his hands on top of his head.
In visible distress, Galloway wiped the tears building in his eyes. In a span of a few minutes, the Indiana men’s basketball guard’s senior day celebration crumbled.
A little under three minutes after leaping to receive a one-hand pass from freshman forward Mackenzie Mgbako and converting a transition layup in the first half on Sunday night against Michigan State, Galloway exited with a lower-body injury.
Trey Galloway and @IndianaMBB are off to a fast start. ⚡
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“It’s tough losing a key player,” head coach Mike Woodson said postgame. “But that’s part of sports.”
After recording 5 points and three rebounds in seven minutes, Galloway was resigned to the bench for the rest of the contest. Aided in large part by sophomore center Kel’el Ware’s 28-point outburst, Indiana weathered the storm and pulled out a gutsy 65-64 victory in its regular season finale.
Related Late free throw clinches Indiana basketball 65-64 Senior Day win vs. Michigan State
Indiana men’s basketball wrapped up its regular season against Michigan State on Sunday. The Hoosiers hung on for a tight 65-64 win that came down to the buzzer to finish their season with an 18-13 record including 10-10 in Big Ten play.
In the latter half of the first period, Galloway emerged from a short stint in the locker room and hopped on an exercise bike in the corner behind the Hoosiers’ bench. He did everything he could to try and get back on the court and contribute.
After being absent from most of the warmups before the second half and sporting a noticeable limp, it became clear Galloway’s night was done — at least as a player. But throughout the second half, Galloway was intensely animated as a spectator.
With every Indiana point, Galloway either clapped or stood up and pumped his fists. On foul calls he perceived as inaccurate, Galloway crept onto the court and voiced his displeasure. At each timeout — and ultimately as the final buzzer reverberated throughout Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall — Galloway was the first to leave the bench and gather with his teammates.
With sixth-year senior guard Xavier Johnson out for 13 games this season, Galloway has taken on more duties both as a facilitator and scorer. While his shooting splits have taken a steep drop from last season, his 4.6 assists per game rank sixth best in the Big Ten.
After the game, Ware stressed the value Galloway brings to the offense.
“Trey is definitely a big part of our offense, with him just being able to get downhill, throw the lob, or get to his flow offensively,” Ware said.
For nearly the entirety of Sunday’s game, those traits were sorely missed.
Indiana mustered enough to fend off senior guard Tyson Walker and Michigan State’s explosive offensive attack, but if it hopes to make a run in the Big Ten Tournament, Galloway’s services will likely be required.
Woodson said Galloway is still being evaluated for his injury, but the Culver, Indiana native offered some reassurance.
“Obviously today, not what I wanted, but I’ll be back for the tournament,” Galloway said.
Once Johnson ran out the remaining seconds on the clock and secured Indiana’s victory, Galloway burst onto the court. After the celebration started to disperse and move to the scorer’s table for team handshakes, Galloway, Johnson and senior guard Anthony Leal convened and embraced one another.
As Woodson put it, the trio, including senior forward Anthony Walker, have endured considerable battles this season. Woodson echoed that sentiment in his speech to commence the senior day celebration.
After Walker, Johnson and Leal spoke and thanked their family and various members of the program, Galloway gingerly appeared from the tunnel, flanked by his father Mark and his mother Dawn, to a chorus of applause.
Galloway expressed gratitude to his teammates, the team managers and the entire coaching staff, but he paused and choked up when reaching Woodson. Galloway, like Leal, offered an ode of confidence in Woodson and voiced a deep appreciation for their years together.
Before Galloway spoke, Woodson addressed each of the seniors individually. When he reached Galloway, Woodson smiled and, for a moment, was lost for words. But then, he uttered something that would prompt raucous cheers from the Hoosier faithful and incessant chants of “one more year!”
“You’ve come a long way,” Woodson said. “But there’s still a lot of basketball left in you.”
After Leal announced he would return to the program for a fifth year, Galloway stepped to the microphone. The fan favorite, in-state recruit and frequent lifeline of Indiana’s offense saved the most awaited news for last.
And when he finally revealed it, the ovations rose to a crescendo.
Related Trey Galloway, Anthony Leal announce return for fifth year to Indiana men’s basketball
Indiana men’s basketball beat Michigan State 65-64 on Sunday, but perhaps the loudest applause came after when senior guards Anthony Leal and Trey Galloway announced they’ll be returning for a fifth season rather than moving on after graduation.
“These last four years have been the best time of my life,” Galloway said. “But I don’t think it’s quite time for me to end that.”
Follow reporters Will Foley (@foles24) and Matt Press (@MattPress23) and columnist Daniel Flick (@ByDanielFlick) for updates throughout the Indiana men’s basketball season.
