Trey Galloway is the engine driving Indiana men’s basketball

And he deserves more credit for it.

Leadership in sport is an interesting thing.

It’s not always the “rah rah” guy who stands in front of a team during pregame or halftime. Being a leader doesn’t necessarily mean being the center of attention or just the go-to guy in the way Trayce Jackson-Davis was last year.

Sometimes it’s being in the gym every morning. Or being one of the first out on the floor for warmups. Just never taking a play off.

That’s why Trey Galloway is a captain this year, a title he earned through four years of competing as hard as he could.

The numbers don’t jump off the screen. Per game averages of 10.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. He’s taken on roles and been asked to do a ton for Indiana and one thing you can’t do is fault his effort in doing so.

Without a consistent Xavier Johnson, he’s become the Hoosiers’ primary distributor. It’s a role that was secondary last season behind Jalen Hood-Schifino and one he assumed as a sophomore for one game when multiple players were suspended against Northwestern.

Without consistent backcourt scoring, Galloway has had to shoulder that load and nearly led Indiana past Kansas with 28 points.

He also took on the role of Indiana’s primary on-ball defender last season when Johnson was out with an injury.

All of this combined to impress head coach Mike Woodson, who inherited Galloway from his predecessor, Archie Miller. Galloway didn’t enter the portal upon Miller’s firing either, instead choosing to stick with the program.

He just doesn’t take any plays off, consistently flying around on defense or putting himself on the line going after loose balls. Big Ten play has left him a bit battered as a result, constantly having dudes falling on him or absorbing contact on either end of the floor.

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He just gets up and moves onto the next play. No matter how tired he is or how much all those hits have added up, he’s always moving on.

Finally a full-time starter as a senior, he’s gotten some grief for the fanbase for what he isn’t. He’s not the high-level shooter you’d want at shooting guard, he can’t create for himself as well as others and he’s not really the type of guy you expect to see yelling in a huddle.

What’s left unsaid is what he is. He clearly cares a great deal about Indiana basketball as an institution and program, hoping to leave it better than he found it. He plays as hard as anyone the fanbase has seen come through Bloomington. He’s the kind of guy you point to as a coach.

Which is ultimately what his legacy in Bloomington will likely end up being. Indiana’s staff needs more Trey Galloways, especially those from the state. They have a great example to find themselves and to show prospects around the Hoosier state.

Come to Indiana and be a Trey Galloway, a Trayce Jackson-Davis. The program needs those kinds of guys and the fanbase should be glad they have one.