Wichita State senior Jaime Echenique smiles after getting fouled during the second half of the game against USF on Feb. 20 inside Charles Koch Arena.
Before Jaime Echenique came to the United States, he made a pledge to his father. Echenique’s dad didn’t know if he wanted to keep supporting his son playing basketball because he thought he should be solely focus on academics.
Echenique vowed just one more year — if no one took the bait on his recruiting, he’d be done with basketball and focus on his schooling. He needed basketball as an escape. Growing up in Colombia, he was in a gang for neighborhood protection.