Marquette Basketball: Breaking down the Golden Eagles’ 2018-19 rotation

Center

Minutes Breakdown (40 total): Matt Heldt (17), Ed Morrow (12), Theo John (11)

Entering last season, Marquette’s center position was in a state of flux. Luke Fischer – the programs all-time field goal percentage leader – graduated in spring 2017, leaving just the inexperienced Matt Heldt and the freshman Theo John on the roster. After some rough patches in 2017-18, Marquette has come out the other side with a much more talented big man crew.

Leading the way is Heldt, who led the nation in offensive rating last season (138.3, tied with Arizona St. De’Quon Lake). Heldt can get exposed defensively on the perimeter, but he is a very solid low post defender; last year, he more than held his own against throwback bigs like Angel Delgado and Yante Maten. He won’t wow you with athleticism, but he knows where to be on the floor at all times.

John might be the exact opposite. His athleticism is almost frightening, and he is built like a tank. Like many young big men, John committed countless miscues to start the season, before eventually ironing out a few issues as the year progressed. In the first seven games, John fouled out four times and committed a foul once every 2.8 minutes. Across the final 26 games, he only committed a foul once every 5.5 minutes and managed to remain in every game.

His foul rate still needs work, as do his turnovers and defensive rotations. Still, there are a lot of positives to be gleaned from his improvements during his freshman season that should carry over to 2018-19 if he is given the chance.

Morrow will also slot into the center rotation as a defensive anchor in smaller lineups. His toughness will play up even if he is caught in a size mismatch.