Shockers prepare for weekend matchup with Tulsa

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Wichita State is on a two-game winning streak, but their schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Shockers are set for a matchup with first-place Tulsa on Saturday.

Head Coach Gregg Marshall met with the media before one of his team’s biggest road tests this year.

Havoc in the Heartland

What started as a non-conference contest between the Shockers and Golden Hurricane has transformed into a conference grudge match.

Marshall recalled Tulsa as being one of the first teams that Shocker fans wanted to see their team square off against.

“I just know that when I first came here, that was the school, other than the state schools, that people wanted to see us play. I’m on my third Tulsa coach, and we’ve been playing them ever since,” Marshall said. “Then we joined the league, but prior to that, we played one time. We opened the first game of INTRUST Bank Arena against them. It’s a short drive. We have a lot of fans make the drive. They’re in first place, so we’ve got to go down there and play well.”

Defense has been key to Tulsa’s hot start in conference play.

“They play good defense. They play a matchup zone, 3-2, man-to-man,” Marshall said. “They also have a lot of experience. They’ve got guys who have been in their program that have come together to play good basketball.”

In terms of attacking the zone, Marshall said his team will have to attack both on the perimeter and inside the paint.

“You can’t just play the perimeter. You have to attack it. You have to get behind it on the baseline and in the middle,” he said. “Though they’re playing a zone, we think we can throw it down to Jaime and the bigs. You’ve got to rebound well and you do have to make some outside shots.”

Dexter Dennis

Dexter Dennis has been playing some of his best basketball of the season over the past week, and nobody is more proud of him than Marshall.

“I would enjoy any of them playing that way, but [Dennis] in particular, because he was struggling physically and mentally,” Marshall said. “I’m not sure everything is behind us, but he’s seeing the ball go through the basket. He’s playing with a renewed fervor. He’s attacking the rim, rebounding, and defending. It was just a matter of time if he was physically and mentally ready to go.”

The AAC rewarded Dennis for his recent performance with his second Honor Roll of this season. After returning from his “leave of absence,” Dennis took a while to fully find his stride, but he appears to have returned to his freshman form as of late.

Marshall said part of Dennis’s recent success is due to the work he’s put in at the gym.

“It’s good to see, because he puts in a lot of time and he’s a great kid,” Marshall said of the sophomore. “He’s a really hard worker and is very coachable. I love seeing him have that success.”

Leadership

Since the departures of Markis McDuffie and Samajae Haynes-Jones at the end of last season, the reins of leadership have been up for grabs.

Senior Jaime Echenique seems to have taken on that leadership role as he realizes this is his last year of college basketball.

“Last year was his first year in the program as a JUCO transfer, so he kind of deferred to the seniors, Markis and Samajae,” Marshall said. “This year, he’s the only senior. When we discuss how good our team is and the potential to be really, really, really good, he always chimes in that he doesn’t want to wait and that it’s his last go-round. It’s encouraging these young guys to grow up a little faster so we can have the type of season to end the season this year.”

Marshall said he’s also seen development in some of his younger players.

“Tyson (Etienne) is a leader by example, but he’s a chatterbox,” Marshall said. “He works as hard as anyone. He’s doing extra workouts to keep his body right, to keep his body sharp. He talks quite a bit in drills — nonstop really.”

Fellow freshman Grant Sherfield is also on Marshall’s radar for his leadership qualities.

“Grant Sherfield is a little more quiet, but he’s still playing 25-27 minutes [a game],” Marshall said. “He shows his leadership more in his actions on the court. He is very confident. He wants to have the ball in his hands at the end. He wants to be fouled and shoot free throws. Between those two have the most opportunity to lead, and that’s how they’re doing it.”