KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Indiana basketball players Trey Galloway, Jakai Newton and Bryson Tucker participated in a charity exhibition against Tennessee on Sunday at Food City Center.
The 18th-ranked Hoosiers defeated the defending regular season SEC champions 66-62. Galloway, Newton and Tucker all traveled but were not dressed for the game.
Indiana coach Mike Woodson told reporters Friday that both Galloway and Newton are questionable. The team has been patient with the guard as he works his way back from a knee injury.
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“We’ve been slowly bringing them back because it’s a long season,” Woodson said. “They haven’t fully recovered yet, you might say. We’re being very cautious about how we approach their practices because they’re not fully ready yet. This is exactly why.”
Both players participated in recent scrimmages, but Woodson was reluctant to throw them into an actual game. They also did not participate in basketball-related activities with Hoosier Hysteria.
Tucker, the team’s only freshman signee in the 2024 signing class, bruised his thigh during practice and suffered a late scratch.
“Yesterday and today he couldn’t match his stride,” Woodson said.
Woodson has spoken highly of the former McDonald’s All-American throughout the offseason. At Hoosier Hysteria, he told IU fans that Tucker didn’t play like a freshman and that he loved every minute of his game.
The 6-foot-7, 207-pound small forward signed as a four-star recruit out of Bishop O’Connell High School in Virginia. He will likely provide frontcourt depth next to Mackenzie Mugako and Luke Good this season.
Tucker will be re-evaluated this week, but Woodson doesn’t expect him to miss any extra time.
“It’s nothing serious,” Woodson said.
Michael Niziolek is the Indiana beat reporter for the Bloomington Herald Times. You can follow him at X @michaelniziolek Click here to read all of his articles.
This article originally appeared in the Herald Times: IU basketball not at full strength in exhibition vs. Tennessee
