Marquette Basketball: Player reviews for the 2017-18 season

C Matt Heldt (Jr.)

Stats: 3.9 pts – 4.7 reb – 1.0 blk – 64.7% FG – 87.5% FT – 0% 3PT

What went well: Post defense

Heldt’s defense on the perimeter comes and goes, especially when he is switched onto quicker guards, but he can absolutely hold his own down low.

Marquette played several low post beasts this year, including Georgia’s Yante Maten and Seton Hall’s Angel Delgado (twice). Maten and Delgado averaged just 12 points across the three games, and combined to shoot just 15-31 from the field. Those numbers are a credit to Heldt. (To be fair, Purdue’s Isaac Haas did drop 22 points on 8-14 shooting while Heldt fouled out in the second game of the year. But Heldt got stronger on the block throughout the season, as partially evidenced by his 1.4 blocks per game over the final 8 contests).

Heldt is not much of an offensive threat, but he is a smart defender who knows where to be at all times. Those traits are certainly not lost on this Marquette team.

What to improve on: Offense

Heldt needs to add something on offense. Whether it’s finishing around the rim or adding a jump shot, it doesn’t really matter. He just needs to be more of a threat on that end of the floor. Of players who played at least 650 minutes this season, only four players took fewer shots than Heldt’s 85.

In pick and rolls, Heldt needs to make himself available for easy buckets. He can be too slow to gather the ball and go to the basket, even when he has his defender beat. Defenders have to hedge way out on Howard so he doesn’t kill them with a three, so the lane should be wide open for Heldt to get easy bunnies.

Heldt turned himself into a very solid free throw shooter this year and has a nice stroke; if he gets the opportunity for an open jumper, he should take it. Heldt doesn’t need to hijack the offense, but he needs to add something to his game so Marquette isn’t playing four on five.