Bench Booster – No Backing Down for Trey Galloway

By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Trey Galloway was a Hoosier before he was a Hoosier.

Let's start with that.

Yes, Indiana (14-5 overall, 5-4 in the Big Ten) is set to wrap up a three-game home stand with Wednesday night's home game against Penn State (8-8, 3-5), driven to make up for Sunday's Michigan disappointment and, as forward Race Thompson puts it, "break down a door."

Galloway will play a huge role.

He will force the action, attack the passing lanes and energize everyone he plays with.

Before we get into that, consider the sophomore guard has emerged as an off-the-bench catalyst which is big, and it comes with Cream 'n Crimson history, which in a lot of ways explains why he wears candy stripes.

Galloway was a high school standout at Culver Academies in northeastern Indiana, and if he ever needed a lesson in what playing for IU could mean, all he had to tune into a Hoosier game.

Which he did -- a lot.

"I watched Indiana growing up," he says.

Flash back a decade ago, when Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo, Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls were mainstays on the nation's top-ranked team.

"I watched all the Big Ten battles they had," Galloway says. "Cody Zeller and that team. Watching those guys compete. Those were great memories. The atmosphere at Indiana was a great thing to watch."

Galloway has evolved from watching to participating. Now that he's recovered from a broken wrist, he's emerged as a key figure in IU's second unit, which under coach Mike Woodson gets significant playing time. Guard Rob Phinisee leads that group, which includes forward Jordan Geronimo, guards Tamar Bates and Anthony Leal, and center Michael Durr.

Given the starters' recent struggles, the second unit could become crucial as the Hoosiers seek to stay within Big Ten title range.

"We still have to prepare like we have an opportunity to win the Big Ten," Woodson told Voice of the Hoosiers Don Fischer during Monday night's radio show.

"I think it's wide open. We've got to put a string of wins together and try to move up."

Don't expect Woodson to change the starting lineup of forwards Trayce Jackson-Davis, Thompson and Miller Kopp, and guards Xavier Johnson and Parker Stewart.

"In our last seven games, our starters have been awful from a plus-minus standpoint, but we're 5-2'" Woodson told Fischer. "We have to get off to better starts, but I'm not in panic mode."

It helps when the second unit saves the day, as it did against Purdue by totaling 35 points.

"We have to come in and provide a boost to the team," Galloway says. "We have to find ways to come in and make plays, either continue the lead or extend the lead.

"That's one thing the second unit has to focus on, bring great energy and play hard."

The burden falls on everyone," Galloway adds.

"We all feel responsible for that role. If we're not playing hard or getting stops or performing, if we're not taking care of the ball, if we don't do that, it's tough.

"We have to figure things out. My responsibility to take care of the ball. It's the same for my teammates.

"Coming in as the second unit, we have to be ready and prepared. Know it's our time and play even harder."

Galloway is the son of successful high school coach in Culver's Mark Galloway, who recently won his 300th career victory. That gives him an edge in understanding how to play at an elite level, especially while coming back from injury.

Missing 10 games didn't hurt Galloway's ability to affect a game. Against Ohio State, Minnesota and Iowa, he came off the bench to go 10-for-17 from the field for 24 points along with seven rebounds, six assists and five turnovers while playing at least 19 minutes.

At Nebraska, it was nine points (on 3-for-3 shooting) and two assists. Against Purdue, it was eight points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Even against Michigan, he had his moments. He was the only Hoosier without a minus in the plus-minus category.

He had a zero.

He didn't score, going 0-for-5 from the field, but did have three assists and two steals.

Teammates understand what Galloway means on and off the court.

"He's a good locker room guy," Durr says. "He brings a lot. Defensively he locks up. He gets in the passing lanes and gets a lot of steals. Offensively, he can play multiple positions -- the 1 (point guard), 2 (shooting guard) and maybe slide to the 3 (small forward). He brings a lot to the table."

Galloway made full use of his injury-caused off time to work on his game, including his offense. He's shooting better and scoring more than he did as a freshman.

"It's getting better," he says. "I focus on ways to help my team win.

"I'm feeling more comfortable in my shot. I keep getting in more reps. After practice I keep shooting.

"I know I can make shots and help my team in many ways, offense and defense. It's coming in and being prepared."

Three-point shooting was a priority. Given he's just 3-for-13 from long range, more work is needed.

"I focused on getting the ball up," he says. "There are a lot of (contested) shots. I want to keep my form the same every time. It's locking into my target and making shots. That's what I focused on during my time off."

Still, Galloway rivals Johnson for the ability to attack the basket.

"He's an aggressive driver," Thompson says. "He's not shooting it the way he can, but having him back making plays, driving the lane, kicking it out, getting in the passing lanes, is big for us."

Galloway provides a be-resilient example for Bates, the freshman started strong (double figures in three of his first eight games, with a high of 13), but who has struggled lately (six total points in his last eight games).

"He knows what he has to do," Galloway says. "We're all here for him. We'll pick him up. It's not like he's playing bad, but we know he can play better. He knows he can play better.

"He'll push himself. He's a hard worker. He stays in the gym. I know he'll do well and be a big factor for us. He will keep grinding and stay at it. We need him. He'll push through this and be fine."

Bates' struggles are typical for a freshman, especially in Big Ten play.

"It's an adjustment as a freshman," Galloway says. "You're playing great teams. It's a different level of competition and physicality. You have to find ways to compete and push yourself. That's what you have teammates for. To pick you up."

The Hoosiers seek to pick themselves up after Sunday's 80-62 loss to Michigan, which dropped their Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall record to 12-1.

Thompson describes that performance as "Laying an egg."

"We got a little bit too high. We were feeling ourselves a big too much."

Only a victory over Penn State, which beat IU 61-58 earlier in the month at State College, will matter, Thompson adds.

"We're trying to break down a door. We made a dent in that door in the Purdue game. We can't get too up or down on ourselves. We need to find a way to break through that door and string a couple of wins together."

Rebounding will be vital. The Nittany Lions, who have lost three of their last four games and who are 1-4 on the road, out-rebounded the Hoosiers by 10 in that first meeting, led by John Harrar's 12.

"He is a strong guy," Thompson says. "There are a lot of strong guys in the Big Ten. We need to box out, crash the glass and not take pictures when the ball goes up, as our coaches like to say."

After Wednesday, three of IU's next four games are on the road. It won its last road game, at Nebraska. For Galloway, playing away from Assembly Hall has a silver lining.

"It's a great atmosphere everywhere you go. You have to be locked in so when it gets loud, you can do all the little things to help the team win.

"On the road, it won't be easy. At the end, we want to put ourselves in position to win. Concentrate on doing all the right things to win those big games on the road."

Bench Booster – No Backing Down for Trey Galloway

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Players Mentioned

Tamar Bates

Michael Durr

Trey Galloway

Jordan Geronimo

Trayce Jackson-Davis

Xavier Johnson

Miller Kopp

Anthony Leal

Rob Phinisee

Parker Stewart

Race Thompson