Jaime Echenique
No. 26 – Acunsa GBC | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | Liga ACB |
Personal information | |
Born | Barranquilla, Colombia | April 27, 1997
Nationality | Colombian |
Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
Listed weight | 258 lb (117 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | JED Pestalozzi (Barranquilla, Colombia) |
College |
|
NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
Playing career | 2020–present |
Career history | |
2020–present | Gipuzkoa |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball Reference |
Jaime Jesús Echenique Salinas (born April 27, 1997) is a Colombian professional basketball player for Acunsa GBC of the Liga ACB. He played college basketball for the Trinity Valley CC Cardinals and the Wichita State Shockers.
Early life and high school career
Echenique grew up in Barranquilla, Colombia and joined a street gang called the LBs which was headed by a cousin.[1] Echenique gravitated towards basketball after playing baseball at a young age.[2] He attended JED Pestalozzi and led its basketball team to four straight regional championships.[3] As a junior and senior, Echenique was named region MVP. After graduating from high school in December 2015, he received several offers to play professionally in Europe, but his father forced him to turn them down to focus on academics. With the idea of playing college basketball in the United States, Echenique joined an amateur club in Medellín and, two months later, a club in Bogotá that had international connections and helped him acquire a visa for the United States. Guy Furr, the head coach of Trinity Valley Community College, was informed of Echenique's talent by two Colombians on the roster, and he invited Echenique to Texas to work out.[2]
College career
Echenique arrived in Dallas, Texas with no money and not speaking much English. He impressed coach Furr with his potential and received a scholarship from Trinity Valley Community College. During his freshman season, Echenique did not have much confidence and struggled with his conditioning, having never been pushed to exhaustion before.[2] Nonetheless, he started 26 games as a freshman and averaged 9.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.[4] As a sophomore, Echenique averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.[5] In his sophomore season, a friend invited him to visit Wichita State and he became fond of the city of Wichita, Kansas.[3] Echenique committed to the Shockers over offers from Baylor, Cincinnati, Western Kentucky, Illinois, and New Mexico.[6]
After Echenique arrived at Wichita State, he collapsed after a workout, prompting him so see a cardiologist to see if he had a heart condition. The examination proved that his heart was healthy, Echenique just needed to work through his conditioning.[2] As a junior, he averaged 9.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game.[6] Echenique considered redshirting his senior season, an idea coach Gregg Marshall rejected.[2] He missed several games in the beginning of the season with a fractured hand.[7] He posted season-highs of 20 points and 13 rebounds on January 15, 2020, in a 65–53 loss to Temple.[8] On February 20, Echenique tied a career-high of 20 points and had a career-best 12-of-14 shooting from the foul line, along with nine rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a 65–55 victory over South Florida.[9] As a senior, Echenique averaged 11.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.[2] He earned Second Team All-AAC honors.[10]
Professional career
On August 11, 2020, Echenique signed his first professional contract with Gipuzkoa of the Spanish Liga ACB.[11] He made his debut with the team on September 19, recording 10 points and four rebounds in an 86–70 loss to Real Madrid.[12]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
NCAA Division I
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Wichita State | 37 | 34 | 17.9 | .543 | .387 | .649 | 6.0 | .4 | .5 | 1.4 | 9.2 |
2019–20 | Wichita State | 27 | 24 | 23.4 | .487 | .190 | .784 | 7.1 | .6 | .7 | 1.6 | 11.3 |
Career | 64 | 58 | 20.2 | .516 | .308 | .719 | 6.4 | .4 | .6 | 1.5 | 10.1 |
JUCO
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016–17 | Trinity Valley CC | 31 | 26 | – | .613 | – | .750 | 5.4 | .2 | .4 | 1.2 | 9.2 |
2017–18 | Trinity Valley CC | 33 | 3 | – | .575 | .500 | .697 | 6.1 | .2 | .2 | 2.0 | 9.1 |
Career | 64 | 29 | – | .593 | .500 | .721 | 5.8 | .2 | .3 | 1.6 | 9.1 |
Personal life
Echenique is the son of Jaime Echenique Sr. and Lidis Salinas.[2] His mother is a chef in an Arabian restaurant while his father is a bus driver.[1]
References
- ^ a b Moore, CJ (October 10, 2019). "The odyssey of Jaime Echenique, from street kid in Colombia to center of attention at Wichita State". The Athletic. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g Eldridge, Taylor (March 8, 2020). "'I know my worth': Jaime Echenique learned to believe in himself and became a WSU star". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Robinson, Drake (November 7, 2018). "Echenique looks to make a towering impact impact on the court". The Sunflower. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "Trinity Valley's Echenique commits to Wichita State". KAKE. October 5, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Suellentrop, Paul (October 17, 2020). "RH: Mixing Nice with Nasty on the Court". Wichita State Shockers. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ a b Sunner, Marshall (March 5, 2020). "A pledge, Grand Theft Auto, and moving to America: Basketball isn't Jaime Echenique's only takeaway". The Sunflower. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "WSU's Echenique out for a month with hand injury". KAKE. October 28, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "Temple Snaps Shocker Streak". Wichita State Shockers. January 15, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ Eldridge, Taylor (February 21, 2020). "'He's definitely elite': Wichita State's Jaime Echenique is keeping the post-up alive". The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "Echenique Named Second Team All-Conference". Wichita State Shockers. March 10, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "Echenique inks at Gipuzkoa at the beginning of his pro career". Eurobasket. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
- ^ "Jaime Echenique brilla en su debut en Liga de baloncesto de España" (in Spanish). September 19, 2020. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
External links
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Centers (basketball)
- Colombian expatriate basketball people in Spain
- Colombian expatriate basketball people in the United States
- Colombian men's basketball players
- Gipuzkoa Basket players
- Liga ACB players
- Sportspeople from Barranquilla
- Trinity Valley Cardinals men's basketball players
- Wichita State Shockers men's basketball players