Wichita State basketball: 2019-20 season overview of the Shockers

Wichita State Basketball: 2019-20 season overview of the Shockers

SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 16: The Wichita State Shockers mascot gestures in the second half against the Marshall Thundering Herd during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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WICHITA, KS – FEBRUARY 06: Jaime Echenique #21 of the Wichita State Shockers drives in for a dunk during the first half against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Charles Koch Arena on February 6, 2020 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Peter G. Aiken/Getty Images) /

Key Players

Jaime Echenique, C, Sr.

By the end of the year, there was no question about who the most important player was for the Shockers. Jaime Echenique was 4th in the conference in blocks, 6th in rebounds, and led the Shockers in scoring. He was easily the most consistent contributor on the squad and he gave the team something else nobody else could. He gave them an inside presence. The guards struggled to regularly get to the basket throughout the year, which meant that Echenique had to be the player to force the defense to collapse. He was fantastic throughout the year and was really one of the only players that it always felt like the Shockers could always depend on.

Jamarius Burton, G, Soph.

When the Shocker offense started to tail off in the middle of the season, Jamarius Burton was the player who stepped up. He was only 3rd on the team in scoring for the year as a whole, but he had a much bigger role down the stretch. He was regularly the player the Shockers turned to late in games when they needed a bucket. He was one of the players that kept the Shockers alive when they started to struggle and he will definitely be missed next season.

Dexter Dennis, G, Soph.

While Jamarius Burton was the player that the Shockers turned to more regularly, Dexter Dennis consistently knocked down big shots late in games for Wichita State. He was a big reason why they had a lead late against Cincinnati and came up huge during the comeback win against SMU. For most of the second half of the season, if somebody hit a late 3 for the Shockers, it was Dexter Dennis. Hopefully, he sticks around for next season because he looks like he has the tools to be the leader of this team next year.