Mike Woodson Unsure of Senior Day Participants, Walker's Injury Status
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Senior Day is approaching on Sunday, and Indiana coach Mike Woodson isn't sure which players will participate.
Point guard Xavier Johnson and forward Anthony Walker are the only Hoosiers out of eligibility after the season, so they will be honored. But the status of fourth-year players like Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal, who are listed as seniors but have an extra year of eligibility remaining due to COVID, is unknown for next season, according to Woodson.
"I don't know. I haven't had a chance to sit down and see what [Galloway and Leal] are going to do in terms of senior night," Woodson said Friday morning. "So I'll know more today when I sit down with them about that. I know X is going to go through senior night; he doesn't have a choice."
"But Galloway and Anthony, they do have choices. They could come back another year, so I don't know what they're going to do. We're going to have to sit down and discuss that and see what they're going to do."
Walker left Wednesday's game at Minnesota with an apparent right leg injury after landing awkwardly on a made layup. He had to be helped off the court and did not return to the game. Walker joined the Hoosiers before the season as a transfer from Miami, and he's averaging 5.4 points and 2.5 rebounds per game across 28 games off the bench and one start.
Woodson isn't sure if Walker will play Sunday.
"His MRI checked out pretty well," Woodson said. "I don't know the status of him being able to practice today. As of yesterday he was pretty sore coming out of the MRI. So I'll know more today when I get down on the practice floor to see where he is in terms of being able to play."
Johnson returned from an elbow injury on Feb. 27 against Wisconsin, and Indiana has rattled off three wins in a row, including road victories against Maryland and Minnesota. Johnson has played in just 28 of Indiana's 65 games since the beginning of the 2022-23 season due to foot and elbow injuries, and Woodson is glad he can finish out his career healthy.
"It's a special night for him," Woodson said. "I couldn't be more proud and more happy for X because X has gone through a lot, man. From the time I got him, I coached him hard. I was tough on X, man. X wanted to give you all he could give you and the injuries just set in and he just wasn't able to be on the floor a lot. So this should be a special night for him and his family, man. Now he's got to figure out once he leaves here, what's next. I mean, that's the beauty of playing sports and getting an education. You still got to go out in the workplace and figure out the rest of your life.
"I'm going to always be there for him if he needs me. I'm going to do whatever I can to help him do whatever he wants to do in the next phase of his life. For me, that's what coaching is all about."
After a limited role in his first three seasons, Leal is playing more minutes per game than ever as a senior. In 13.8 minutes per game off the bench, he's averaging career-highs with 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game on 47.1% 3-point shooting.
Galloway has played a key role for Indiana the last two seasons, starting 55 total games. While his 3-point shooting has decreased by over 20% from last season, Galloway has increased from 6.7 points to 10.8 points per game from his junior to senior year. He has more than doubled his assists, including three games with 11-plus assists in his last six games.
"Gallo is just starting to come into his own," Woodson said. "I mean, it's what you expect because he's a senior. He's not a freshman or sophomore. He's a senior. I've been harping I expect that from him, I want him to do that. He's been playing extremely well here as of late."
With Galloway and Leal, it's important to note that they could go through senior day and still return to college next season. Former Indiana forward Race Thompson was honored on senior day at the end of the 2021-22 season, then decided to return for the 2022-23 season.
Tipoff against Michigan State is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- MCNEELEY DECOMMITS: Liam McNeeley, Indiana's lone commitment in the class of 2024 and a five-star prospect, has reopened his recruitment, according to multiple reports. CLICK HERE
- MEET THE OPPONENT, MICHIGAN STATE: Coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State travel to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday for the their season's first matchup against Indiana. The Spartans are 10-9 in conference play and Indiana is 9-10, so Sunday's winner gets an advantage in Big Ten Tournament seeding. CLICK HERE
- GAME STORY: Coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers won their third straight game Wednesday night at Minnesota, 70-58. Kel'el Ware led Indiana with 26 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three assists, while Minnesota shot 38.6% from the field and committed 18 turnovers. CLICK HERE
- WHAT WOODSON SAID: Here's the full transcript of Mike Woodson's press conference following Indiana's 70-58 win at Minnesota Wednesday night. CLICK HERE
