Wichita State Shockers
American (23-8, 11-7)
After a very strong showing in non-conference play, Wichita State struggled to an 11-7 record in American Athletic Conference play. The Shockers lost just once before January, a 75-63 defeat against West Virginia. Wins against the likes of South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and VCU did put the Shockers in a good enough spot to make the NCAA Tournament after missing out last season and that is a step in the right direction.
Big Wins: 12/14 Oklahoma (80-75), 1/9 Memphis (76-67), 3/7 Tulsa (79-57)
Bad Losses: 1/15 at Temple (53-65), 2/1 at Tulsa (51-54), 3/5 at Memphis (60-68)
Coach: Gregg Marshall
Why They Can Surprise:
Wichita State will work their offense around 6-11 senior center Jaime Echenique. He averages 11.3 points per game and a team high 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. With forward Trey Wade and guards Dexter Dennis and Erik Stevenson helping out, the Shockers are very strong on the glass. Stevenson and Tyson Etienne can also spark the offense with their outside shooting abilities. Those two are not always the most consistent shooters, so it will be very important that they knock down some outside shots in order to loosen up the opposing defense.
Why They Can Disappoint:
This is a group that can struggle to hit shots though. The team as a whole connects on just 40.7 percent of their shots from the floor, ranking 321st in the nation. The good news is, at least compared to last year, the Shockers are doing better from beyond the arc thanks to Stevenson and Etienne. However, during the NCAA Tournament, a few minutes of missing shots could put Wichita State in a very difficult spot and they do not have the offensive firepower to come back from a big deficit.
Probable Starters:
Jamarius Burton, Sophomore, Guard, 10.3 ppg, 3.4 apg
Noah Fernandes, Freshman, Guard, 1.4 ppg, 1.2 apg
Grant Sherfield, Freshman, Guard, 8.1 ppg, 2.9 apg
Dexter Dennis, Sophomore, Guard, 9.2 ppg, 1.1 apg, 5.0 rpg
Jaime Echenique, Senior, Center, 11.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Key Role Players:
Erik Stevenson, Sophomore, Guard, 11.1 ppg, 2.3 apg, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 spg
Tyson Etienne, Freshman, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 1.4 apg
Trey Wade, Junior, Forward, 7.4 ppg, 5.4 rpg
Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler, Sophomore, Forward, 1.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.8 (148th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 63.8 (35, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 40.7 (321, 10)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.1 (14, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.9 (112, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.8 (210, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.7 (217, 8)
Rebound Margin: 4.7 (45, 2)
Assists Per Game: 14.1 (91, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.8 (141, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2019 | NIT | First Round win over Furman |
| 2019 | NIT | Second Round win over Clemson |
| 2019 | NIT | Quarterfinal win over Indiana |
| 2019 | NIT | Semifinal loss to Lipscomb |
| 2018 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Marshall |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Dayton |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Kentucky |
| 2016 | NCAA | Opening Round win over Vanderbilt |
| 2016 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Arizona |
| 2016 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Miami (FL) |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Indiana |
| 2015 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Kansas |
| 2015 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Notre Dame |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Cal Poly |
| 2014 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Kentucky |
| 2013 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Pittsburgh |
| 2013 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Gonzaga |
| 2013 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal win over LaSalle |
| 2013 | NCAA | Regional Final win over Ohio State |
| 2013 | NCAA | National Semifinal loss to Louisville |
| 2012 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Virginia Commonwealth |
| 2011 | NIT | First Round win over Nebraska |
| 2011 | NIT | Second Round win over Virginia Tech |
| 2011 | NIT | Quarterfinal win over College of Charleston |
| 2011 | NIT | Semifinal win over Washington State |
| 2011 | NIT | Final win over Alabama |
| 2010 | NIT | First Round loss to Nevada |
| 2009 | CBI | First Round win over Buffalo |
| 2009 | CBI | Second Round loss to Stanford |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Seton Hall |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Tennessee |
| 2006 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to George Mason |
| 2005 | NIT | Opening Round win over Houston |
| 2005 | NIT | First Round win over Western Kentucky |
| 2005 | NIT | Second Round loss to Vanderbilt |
*all team stats through 3/8
