INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 26, 2025

Oumar Ballo

Trey Galloway

Postgame Media Conference

Indiana - 83, Penn State - 78

Q. Oumar, tell us how fun that game was to play in and just how important it was for the way you guys are actually finishing game now.

OUMAR BALLO: You know, at this point in the season every game is important, but this one is special because we know we're playing for something big. And it was super fun to have our fans backing us up and keeping us in the game to the point that we took over. Anytime we get a home win, super fun.

Q. Oumar, did you feel like coming into this you could use your strength and your body to get inside and core regularly?

OUMAR BALLO: Yeah, for sure. Whenever you have couple of pounds on the defender, you need to take advantage of that. So I was trying to put my body -- even though I missed some shots, but at the end of the day we got the job done. So that's what matters.

Q. Trey, how have you managed the emotions of the season? You start coming back from knee injury, have a shooting slump, faced a lot. How have you stayed steady and now back in the starting lineup to kind of manage this resurgent team?

TREY GALLOWAY: I mean, it's been challenging. Every season has its own challenges. But I think just really just focusing on how can I make my team better and getting every day is the biggest thing I've been trying to do because everyone on our team has to make sacrifices for us to be successful.

Just really buying into the team and buying into everybody else is the biggest thing.

Q. Trey, where is this team's fight coming from right?

TREY GALLOWAY: I think we're coming together and we know we're a better team than we've shown. And we still have a chance and we're fighting for a spot in the tournament and we're fighting for just getting better and pushing our record in the Big Ten.

We're taking it one game at a time. We've got to keep focusing on the next game, which is Washington. So I think just us really just buying in and really pushing each other to get better.

Q. Trey, I know you just said you're sort of focusing one game at a time, but there are a lot of you on this team knowing it's your last year no matter what. You've got a head coach who knows he's done at the end of the season no matter what. Is there freedom in that -- there's a sense of urgency but is there freedom in everybody being able to say this is our last ride. Let's take it together. Let's make the most of it?

TREY GALLOWAY: Yeah, I think we just have to keep reminding each other to cherish every moment because wins and losses, it's all special because you're learning through it all.

So I think just really cherishing these moments because when it's over we're all going to miss it and it's going to be tough to really understand what it meant to put this uniform on and to go to war with our brothers every day.

So I think just really just cherishing every moment, highs and lows.

Q. Trey, you guys go 10-of-15 from 3 tonight. What kind of led to that? And your two big 3s that put you guys ahead, were you hunting those shots, or did they just come through the offense?

TREY GALLOWAY: I think just we knew that they're a heavy team that closes in on gaps. And I think we were going to be able to get open shots. And keep shooting the ball with confidence. That's the biggest thing we've been kind of preaching.

So I think the shots really just came out of the offense. Couple of mine -- one was in transition, but just guys setting screens and moving the ball.

I think we're doing a great job of sharing it. Guys are being unselfish and really wanting to find ways for us to score. So it's been good.

Q. Trey, you brought it up, 24 assists on 29 made field goals tonight, where is that connectivity coming from right now?

TREY GALLOWAY: I think, like I said, guys trusting each other and making the right reads and making the right play because there's times where you might think an open shot is a good shot but we can always lead to better shots. I think we're doing that and being really unselfish.

It starts with obviously Ballo and getting the ball in the middle and making the right reads and us just being able to make reads, pick-and-rolls and making extra passes.

Q. Oumar, I know, in your case, obviously the sands are running out of the hourglass a little bit on your college career, but they are for Trey as well. For somebody, from a teammate's perspective, for somebody like Trey who has been here at Indiana the whole time, what's kind of your appreciation level of how he wants to finish from a teammate perspective?

OUMAR BALLO: You know, I've been in college for quite a long time now. I know this moment, man, they go fast. And for guys like Trey and Leal that have been here for five years, I know every single game means the world to them.

And for me too because this thing goes fast, and we have to take every game as important and we have to finish the season strong, not just for us but for the fans. And I feel like they deserve that, and we're pushing forward for that.

Q. Trey, you guys combined for 14 assists, but as a team you had an astounding 24 assists on 29 made baskets. Is that just the team coming together more? You talked about making the right reads, but there were six guys who had two assists or more.

TREY GALLOWAY: Like I said, we've really preached on sharing the ball and making the right play. And I think it really -- obviously it helps when you're making shots, too. Looks a lot better with 24 assists.

But we got great shots out of our offense flowing and being able to move the ball because we knew they were going to hard hedge and put two on the ball. There's going to be open reads out of it.

We prepped it. We did a great job on our preparation for this game to find the right spots and put guys in the right spots to make plays.