The RoundHouse | 2/6/2020 9:41:00 AM

CINCINNATI (14-7, 7-2) at rv/rv WICHITA STATE (17-4, 5-3)
THURSDAY, FEB. 6, 2020 | 6:01 P.M.
WICHITA, KAN./ CHARLES KOCH ARENA 
TV: ESPN (WatchESPN)
RADIO: KEYN 103.7 FM (GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: UC leads 22-12 (9-8 in Wichita)
 
 
Wichita State center Jaime Echenique played 14 minutes against Houston in January. It is the 26 he did not play that are on his mind in each following game.
 
"I looked at that game and I was like 'I need to be on the court,'" he said. "'I can't be sitting here doing nothing.'"
 
Echenique fouled twice in the first half and again early in the second during that 65-54 loss to Houston. The Shockers struggled in many ways that night in Koch Arena and playing without their top matchup problem certainly hurt. He scored eight points and grabbed six rebounds.
 
Foul trouble, however, is less and less of a problem for Echenique in recent games. 
 
He is peaking in February of his senior season and playing defense without fouling – a product of smarts, experience, health and conditioning – keeps him on the floor. He played 27 minutes or more – almost six above his season average - in five of the past six games. In those five, he fouled one time or not at all in the first half.
 
"I can help my team," he said. "I can't be in foul trouble, so I try to do my work early and keep my hands off. Before, I tried to reach on some occasions. I don't want to pick up a cheap foul."
 
When Echenique is not in foul trouble, he plays and plays well. As a junior, he averaged 17.9 minutes and fouled out of four games. This season, his playing time continues on an upward trend. He hustles to get good defensive position – as the charges he took against Tulsa showed – and is more disciplined with his hands. Tired players often foul and Echenique is in better shape this season.
 
"You have to understand that putting your hands on guys is a bad habit," he said. "You play straight up, wall up."
 
Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall recognizes a senior in the stretch run. Echenique's strong run is powered by a senior's experience and sense of urgency.
 
"There is no next year for him," Marshall said. "I love coaching him. The vibe for him is 'Come on guys. Let's do this now.'"
 
Wichita State is No. 38 in the NCAA NET rankings and No. 40 in the Pomeroy rankings. They are a No. 8 seed in Jerry Palm's bracket with wins over projected tournament teams such as Oklahoma, VCU and Memphis. Joe Lunardi also lists Wichita State as a No. 8 seed.
 
The Shockers are a short win streak away from improving those spots and for a team with one senior that is a reasonable place to be. That streak, however, is going to be hard-earned with Thursday's game against Cincinnati followed by a trip to Houston. 
 
Cincinnati and Houston are in similar spots, fighting for every piece of an at-large resume. Same for Memphis and Tulsa. Wichita State's non-conference performance is keeping it afloat and it needs to add a few more helpful wins in February.
 
"We don't want to go on a losing streak," Marshall said. "We've done that once. (Houston and Cincinnati) are two great programs. Houston and Cincinnati have dominated the league since we've been in it. Both play really, really hard. I don't think I need to do anything else other than show the Houston-Cincinnati game from Saturday. That was two teams playing really hard basketball and making plays and making shots."
 
In two seasons, the Cincinnati-Wichita State series grew into one of the conference's fiercest. The Bearcats have seen Koch Arena at its loudest. It is an arena that requires focus and preparation so a team can control its emotions and communicate effectively.
 
"It's going to be a dog-fight," Bearcats junior Keith Williams said. "It gets crazy in there. We can't get caught up in the crowd." 
 
The Bearcats are making up for non-conference struggles, which is why they are No. 47 in the NET. Losses to Bowling Green and Colgate (at home) set them back. Their best non-conference win is over Tennessee.
 
However, Cincinnati has won four in a row and six of seven to jump into the American Athletic Conference race and the NCAA discussion. On Saturday, they trailed Houston by 15 points in the second half before winning 64-62.
 
"I'm more excited than I've ever been about coaching this team, because I feel like they're starting to figure some things out," Bearcats coach John Brannen said. "But, that's momentary. I always say that. It changes each game."
 
Brannen pointed to turnovers as a major part of the winning streak. The Bearcats average 12 turnovers in the four-game win streak, with a high of 13. Before that streak, they committed 13 or fewer six times.
 
"That's a big reason why we've had some success," he said. "Twelve is pretty much our number."
 
Bearcats senior guard Jarron Cumberland, the 2019 AAC Player of the Year, is also leading that success after earlier struggles under the new coach. Cumberland averages 19.8 points and 5.2 assists over the past five games, while shooting 41.1 percent from three-point range. Forward Tre Scott averages 12.8 points and 10.5 rebounds over the past four games.
 
Paul Suellentrop covers Wichita State Athletics and the American Athletic Conference for university Strategic Communications. Story suggestion? Contact him at paul.suellentrop@wichita.edu.