The 2020-21 Indiana University men’s basketball season is right around the corner. To help get you ready, The Daily Hoosier is profiling every scholarship player on the IU roster. Indiana’s season is expected to begin on Nov. 25.
IU prioritizes in-state recruits in its talent rich backyard, and no one epitomizes Indiana high school basketball more than Trey Galloway.
A high school coach’s son, Galloway grew up in the gym, first in Carmel, Ind. and then at Culver.
With basketball at the center of his life from day one, Galloway is exactly what you would expect — a highly skilled competitor that plays both ends of the floor and puts winning before everything else.
And in the basketball crazed state of Indiana, he has all the attributes to end up becoming the next fan favorite in Bloomington.
ESSENTIALS
- Height: 6-foot-4
- Weight: 210
- Position: Guard
- Class: Freshman
- Hometown: Culver, Indiana
- High School: Culver Academies
A 3-star recruit, Galloway was ranked No.143 by Rivals.com and No. 145 by 247Sports.
He averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game as a high school senior. He returned from a wrist injury to lead the Eagles to a 15-game winning streak and a Class 4A sectional championship.
Galloway set a school scoring record with 1,537 career points and also was the school’s all-time leader in assists. He was named All-State and an Indiana All-Star in 2020
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
Archie Miller on Galloway’s competitive makeup —
“He’s that guy you want to be in an alley with when something goes down,” Miller said. “He’s ready to go at all times. I think he brings a big, physical guard to the table that’s ready to play, compete in the Big Ten early in his career. And he’s a winner.”
Galloway on his perimeter shot —
“I’ve been working to improve my shot the whole summer and into the fall,” he said. “I feel like that’s one thing I can contribute this year for sure.”
Rob Phinisee on Galloway —
“Trey is really good, can create off the bounce and create for his teammates,” Phinisee said. “He plays hard and he plays together.”
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WHAT 2020-21 SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
The early noise out of Bloomington is that Galloway is standing out in practice and could be working his way into a significant role as a true freshman.
That isn’t altogether surprising.
For far too long there has been a narrative surrounding this program that it lacks fire, lacks an edge, and it lacks nastiness. Really, that spans multiple coaching staffs. Indiana hasn’t had a true leader since Yogi Ferrell left.
It is a lot to put on a freshman, but Galloway just might be the guy that eventually flips that script. He just might be Miller’s first true alpha competitor. When it comes to basketball intangibles, Galloway checks every box.
But Galloway is more than that.
What makes Galloway special on the offensive end is his attacking mindset off the dribble. He played point guard as a high school senior and Indiana will be comfortable with Galloway initiating the offense at times both in the half court and in transition. He is a true dual threat off the bounce, both as a high end passer and finisher at the rim.
Galloway was a career 64 percent scorer from two-point range in high school, and that efficiency comes from a combination of above average athleticism and craftiness as a finisher.
A common question with Galloway is his perimeter shot. He converted just 31 percent from three-point range for his career at Culver, including just 23 percent as a senior. Here is what you need to know about that. Galloway suffered two shooting hand wrist injuries during his high school career that significantly impacted his numbers. Is he going to be a lights out shooter as a college freshman? Probably not. But we expect that Galloway will do enough from long range to make defenses respect his shot.
Versatility is the name of the game for Galloway, who can legitimately play both ends at the one through three positions at the college level. He fits perfectly in Miller’s push to go towards smaller, faster, positionless lineups, and that should lead to plenty of early opportunities to make an impact.
On the defensive end, Galloway will learn the system just fine. He’ll be reliable. But if he can also deliver the occasional splash play that leads to transition opportunities going the other way — that’s when you’ll know he is truly exceeding expectations relative to his rankings as a recruit.
A freshman season stat line along these lines won’t be a surprise: 16 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 2 rpg, 2 apg, 1 tpg, 1 spg, 50 fg% 32 3fg%.
Those kind of numbers would represent a strong start for a 3-star recruit and project a very bright future.
But if Galloway energizes his teammates and brings a grittiness to the team, stats will be a relatively minor part of the equation.
MORE 2020-21 PREVIEWS
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