Marquette Basketball: 2018-19 player reviews for the Golden Eagles

C Matt Heldt (SR)

0.8 ppg – 1.0 rpg – 0.1 apg – 63/0/71 percent shooting

Season’s Successes

Leadership: Heldt started 32 games and led the nation in offensive rating as a junior, but he was limited to just 159 total minutes off the bench behind Theo John and Ed Morrow in 2018-19. Still, after Heldt stepped in for a season-high 18 minutes when MU’s typical frontcourt rotation was dealing with foul trouble, it was clear how much the big man meant to Wojo and the program, despite taking a backseat role as a senior.

Heldt is the first scholarship player to start and finish his four-year career at Marquette during the Wojo regime; he shot 64 percent across 112 games for the Golden Eagles.

Areas to Improve

Defense in Space: Heldt was a relatively effective post defender last season, which would have been a nice weapon to have in Wojo’s quiver. Unfortunately for Heldt, there weren’t many low-post behemoths in the Big East this season – Xavier’s Zach Hankins was one of the few, partially explaining Heldt’s effectiveness in the matchup against the Musketeers – meaning he was often forced to guard in space when he did soak up occasional spot minutes. Heldt just doesn’t have the speed to do that effectively, and was likely further hindered by his offseason toe injury during a “weight room mishap.”