WSU starting center Jaime Echenique to miss at least a month because of hand fracture
The Shockers will be missing their starting center for the start of the regular season.
Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall announced Monday that senior Jaime Echenique fractured his left, non shooting, hand during Saturday’s scrimmage against Nebraska and will miss “at least” four weeks. Echenique had a doctor’s follow-up on Monday and determined no surgery will be required.
Echenique was hurt during drills and did not play in the scrimmage game, an 89-75 WSU victory.
The Shockers play seven games in November: Five at Koch Arena with WSU favored and two in the Cancun Challenge against South Carolina and either Northern Iowa or West Virginia. Notable games in December are at Oklahoma State on the 8th, then Wichita games against Oklahoma on the 14th and VCU on the 21st.
Marshall also revealed that sophomore Morris Udeze, who is returning from a shoulder injury that ended his freshman season, has concussion-like symptoms and will miss Monday’s practice while going through concussion protocol. Marshall also said freshman guard Noah Fernandes will be out “a while” with the same foot injury that’s held him out the last eight weeks.
“The one position where we have the most depth is the one that’s most stricken right now by the injury bug,” Marshall said.
The good news is that WSU still has depth at the center position. With the 6-foot-11 Echenique and Udeze sidelined, junior 7-footer Asbjorn Midtgaard slides into the starting lineup with sophomore Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler off the bench. Marshall said that 6-10 freshman Josaphat Bilau is available to play.
Last season Marshall used a three-man rotation effectively at center, rotating among Echenique, Midtgaard and either Udeze or Poor Bear-Chandler, who has dropped 20 pounds and can also play power forward.
But Echenique’s absence leaves a void for the Shockers. He started 34 of 37 games, averaged 9.2 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in less than 18 minutes per game and erased many of WSU’s defensive mistakes on the perimeter with his shot-blocking and rebounding ability. Despite playing just 673 minutes, the Shockers outscored opponents by 139 points when Echenique was on the floor — the biggest plus-minus impact made by any player.
While Echenique played in all 37 games last season, he does have an injury history. Last season he partially tore the plantar fascia in a loss at VCU on Dec. 22. Echenique decided to play through the pain of the nagging injury.
The Shockers open the regular season next Tuesday at Koch Arena against Nebraska-Omaha.
This story was originally published October 28, 2019 at 1:37 PM.
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