MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Wichita State senior Samajae Haynes-Jones sees promise in freshman point guard Jamarius Burton. 

“He grew so much,” Haynes-Jones said of Burton. “He makes great plays, picks up defenses and has become more vocal.”

First showing a glimpse of his skill, Burton knocked in a jumper at the buzzer of the team’s open scrimmage at the start of the year. That was only a teaser of what Burton would do this season for a transformational Wichita State team.

In the American Athletic Conference semifinals, Burton scored nine points, had five assists and five rebounds. Having averaged just six points, Burton said his focus this offseason will be shooting. Yet, as a point guard, Burton will need be more than just his jumper.

“As a team, we just need to get our chemistry up a little bit more,” Burton said. “Then next year we will be even better.”

Dexter Dennis, another of Wichita State’s seven freshmen, showed flashes of the future of Wichita State basketball. He scored 19 points and had 12 rebounds for a double-double in the semifinal of the AAC tournament.

“It can be anyone of us,” said freshman Erik Stevenson of the team’s freshmen.

Stevenson built confidence shooting the ball and became a roll player for Gregg Marshall. Asbjørn Midtgaard and Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler added depth to Wichita state’s front court. Rod Brown provided brief relief to Markis McDuffie’s scoring, adding points of his own in limited minutes.

“We just have to keep working,” Midtgaard said. “It’s up to us to see where this goes.”

“We’ve got to continue to be positive, we have to be there for each other,” Burton said. “This program is headed for brighter days.”