Wichita State senior center Jaime Echenique’s games are numbered, and he has remained vocal about his intentions to prolong his collegiate career as long as possible. As the season winds down, Echenique has elevated his game.

In the last 11 games, Echenique has averaged 12.4 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 46.2% from the field. His hot streak kicked off against Temple in January, when he tallied a career-high 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Echenique was one of the few Shockers who played well in the first matchup with the Owls, and WSU will likely have to lean on him again if they want to pick up a much-needed victory.

“We needed him to play well. He was the only one,” Head Coach Gregg Marshall said. “We were pounding the ball inside to him and they were allowing it to come in, and they didn’t really double him a whole lot. A lot of teams immediately double. They were staying out on the shooters and not giving all that to Erik, Dexter, Grant, Tyson — not coming off and giving them wide-open looks.”

Echenique is coming off of one of his worst recent games, though.

“Yeah, he started playing well, and the first game since then in my opinion, that he hasn’t been a dynamite offensive low post scorer was Sunday, and he had three or four looks that he’s been making on a regular basis, and I don’t know why, but he didn’t make them,” Marshall said.

With just four regular-season games left, Echenique has expressed interest in bringing his parents in from Colombia to see one of his last two home games at Charles Koch Arena. Marshall said he hopes Echenique’s parents get their first opportunity to watch their son play college basketball in person.

“He’s a wonderful kid,” Marshall said of Echenique. “We’re trying to do our diplomatic ties and get his parents VISAs to come watch him play on Senior Night and/or graduation. We talked about his final two home games maybe and final four regular-season games. He remarked how it was different now that he’s a senior.”

As the lone senior on the Shocker roster, Echenique has been singularly focused on earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He’s struggled at times to get younger players to match his intensity.

“He wishes there were other seniors to carry the water and spread that message to younger players who don’t have the same urgency he does,” Marshall said. “It’s tough hearing that from a kid. He likened it to a grad transfer trying to do something but knowing this is it. I was trying to get some feedback from him on how I can make that happen.”

Marshall said he has enjoyed coaching Echenique in his two years at WSU.

“I just think he’s a really neat young person,” Marshall said. “I enjoy coaching him a lot. I wish he was going to be around here another year or two, which is ironic because most guys are ready to move on and do the next thing. He actually wanted to redshirt this year.”

His hard work has paid off this season.

“I’ve enjoyed coaching him and watching him prosper, not only as a player, but also as a person,” Marshall said. “I’ve seen him improve his stamina. He can play a lot longer effectively than he did last year. He’s stayed out of foul trouble for the most part, which hurt him a lot last year. He’s developed inside and outside, and he’s a good rim protector.

“He’s a really good player and an even better person. I’m just hopeful we can get his parents here for these one or two last-minute things.”