There was a slight worry among Indiana fans that the Hoosiers could be short-handed ahead of its NCAA Tournament First Four matchup against No. 12 Wyoming on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio.
However, if IU’s open gym session from Monday evening is any indication, it appears sophomore forward Jordan Geronimo and sophomore guard Trey Galloway are both trending up in terms of availability and health for Tuesday’s game.
Geronimo and Galloway were both seen participating in all of Indiana’s practice drills at Dayton Arena, and neither looked to have any apparent ailments or injuries.
Indiana’s pregame open practice. Jordan Geronimo looks fine in this. #iubb (May have to get senior manager @adamhoward0 to close out a little harder. ????) pic.twitter.com/TTwkTK1kDQ
— Jeff Rabjohns (@JeffRabjohns) March 14, 2022
Indiana’s Jordan Geronimo, who got hurt in the Big Ten Tournament, getting in work in IU’s open practice here in Dayton. #iubb pic.twitter.com/XMKcOG3Ybd
— Jeff Rabjohns (@JeffRabjohns) March 14, 2022
Head coach Mike Woodson also gave an update on the 6-foot-6 Geronimo during a Monday press conference.
“I think he’s going to be able to play,” Woodson said. “…He did some things in practice… I’ll have a better idea when he wakes up in the morning.”
This is an optimistic, improving sign as Woodson, shortly following Indiana’s seed draw on Sunday evening, told the media that he wasn’t sure yet about Geronimo’s status.
“I don’t know about Jordan,” Woodson said on Sunday evening. “I think Trey’s gonna be fine.”
Geronimo suffered his injury on Friday in Indiana’s win over Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal. The 6-foot-6 key reserve appeared to have suffered a non-contact injury to his leg as he attempted to run forward but fell awkwardly to the ground.
Geronimo was eventually able to walk off the court with some assistance from teammates. Later in the game, Geronimo was shown near IU’s sideline, walking, lightly running, lightly jumping, and celebrating with the team following IU’s victory.
However, with less than 24 hours between Indiana’s win over Illinois and its semifinal matchup against Iowa, Woodson decided not to play Geronimo the next day against Iowa. Geronimo was still present on the bench in full uniform throughout the entirety of the game.
If Geronimo is unavailable against Wyoming, it would be a key blow for Indiana’s frontcourt and bench depth.
“We weren’t one of the schools that was thrown in there, where we play Friday or Thursday, they give us three or four days to prepare” Woodson said. “We gotta play our way in this Tuesday. So I think mentally, I got to get these guys — I just met with them, hey we gotta get ready to play Wyoming. It’s just that simple.”
If the Hoosiers are without Geronimo against the Cowboys, they will likely have to lean on star forward Trayce Jackson-Davis and, especially, redshirt senior forward Race Thompson to fill the void. Senior center Michael Durr could also see increased minutes off the bench as IU’s lone big man off the bench.
As for Galloway, he returned to Indiana’s lineup in time for the start of the Big Ten Tournament last Thursday. Galloway had previously been sidelined for two weeks with a groin strain.
The 6-foot-5 guard handled a significant amount of playing time once he returned, logging 28 minutes against Michigan, 24 minutes against Illinois, and 20 minutes against Iowa.
This season, Galloway and Geronimo are integral pieces to Indiana’s bench.
Galloway has appeared in 18 games with three starts, and is averaging 5.8 points, 2.0 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 22.1 minutes per game.
Geronimo has appeared in 32 games this season, averaging 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.2 minutes per game. Geronimo is also a feisty defender, blocking 23 shots this season.
