Wichita State has been slumping. Losers of two straight before snapping the streak Tuesday against South Florida, the Shockers now find themselves outside of the AP top-25 again and are sitting at 4-2 in conference play.

After being ranked No. 16 last week and coming off a win against the preseason American Athletic Conference favorite Memphis, WSU is in a four-game stretch of failing to record 60 points in a contest. The Shockers are looking for answers. On Tuesday, the team’s offensive struggles continued, only tallying 56 points.

Here is the January edition of statistical analysis determining who’s on the rise, and who’s on the decline for the Shockers heading into Saturday’s matchup with Central Florida inside Charles Koch Arena:

Trending Up: Jaime Echenique 

Senior post Jaime Echenique is starting to get back to his normal self, bouncing back from an early-season slump after breaking his hand.

In the last five games, the big man from Colombia has been on a tear as a reliable scorer, even as his teammates struggle. Over the course of that span, Echenique is averaging 12.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field and 76% from the free throw line. On the defensive end, Echenique is also tallying 1.2 blocks per contest.

In back-to-back games against UConn and Temple, Echenique recorded season-highs in points with 19 and 20, respectively. He also combined for 21 rebounds in those games.

Trending Down: Erik Stevenson

There’s no other way to put it, Erik Stevenson has hit a sophomore slump – especially in the last three games.

Looking in on Stevenson’s stats over the last five games may not raise eyebrows, as he’s tallying 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists exactly. But when taking a deeper dive into the past three, that’s where it gets fishy. In the last three matchups, Stevenson is shooting just 20% (4-20) from the floor and 18% (2-11) from downtown. 

Over that span, he’s scored as many points (12) as his overall season average per game. On Tuesday against USF, Stevenson was removed from the starting lineup for the first time all season.

But it’s not just on offense that the guard is struggling. The sophomore has been unable to stay out of foul trouble on defense, which is ultimately limiting his minutes. In the win against USF, Stevenson played just 12 minutes. He’s averaging 3.8 fouls per game over this five-game stretch.

Trending Up: Dexter Dennis

Dexter Dennis appears to be back on track after his short hiatus from the team in December. Even though his shot hasn’t been as consistent as many may hope (28% over the last five games), overall, he’s been doing his part.

During the last five games, Dennis is averaging 8.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest while only turning the ball over 6 times in total. Even though his field goal percentage has been low, his three-point percentage has risen to 37% (10-27) over this span. 

Dennis’s efforts against South Florida on Tuesday helped the team break out of their two-game losing streak. He also started in the game against the Bulls, the first time he’s been in the starting lineup since Nov. 27.Dennis has made improvements on defense and on the offensive glass. He’s defending at a higher level since his return and has recorded nearly two (1.8) offensive rebounds per game during this stretch.

Trending Down: Grant Sherfield

Freshman Grant Sherfield has had his moments to forget as of late. Against UConn, the point guard imploded with the game on the line in the second half, turning the ball over multiple times with less than 90 seconds left, which let the Huskies go on a quick 9-0 run and force overtime. Even though the Shockers ended up winning the game, his struggles were hard to miss.

Over the last five games, Sherfield has averaged 6.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, along with 2.0 turnovers. He hasn’t been able to find his shot after starting the year hot, shooting 25% (10-40) from the field during this stretch and just 16% (2-12) from behind the arc.

The last time the freshman scored in double-figures was against Ole Miss on Jan. 4. His best shooting performance since then came during his 3-9 shooting game against the Huskies.

Steady Contributors: Tyson Etienne, Jamarius Burton, and Trey Wade

The trio of Tyson Etienne, Jamarius Burton, and Trey wade have been consistent over these last five games for WSU. Etienne, a freshman, has been averaging a steady 8.4 points on 33.3% shooting from downtown over the past five games, while Burton, the starting point guard, has been doing everything — averaging 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per contest during this stretch.

Wade, the only Shocker to have started every game this season, has been consistent, averaging 5.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Against South Florida on Tuesday, Wade tallied six points and seven rebounds en route to the team’s win.

Etienne recorded a team-high 13 points on 4-8 shooting and 3-6 shooting from downtown against the Bulls.