Matt Velazquez

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

There's little doubt that the 2016-'17 edition of the Marquette men's basketball team will be defined by its guard play. When nine of a team's 11 scholarship players could accurately be called guards and it employs some variation of a four-out, one-in lineup most of the time, that's just how it goes.

But for as much as that deep stock of guards will power the Golden Eagles, their success — and the team in general — will hinge on the durability and reliability of Marquette's only true frontcourt players, Luke Fischer and Matt Heldt.

The two centers, Fischer a 6-foot-11 senior and Heldt a 6-foot-10 sophomore, understand what is being asked of them. They'll need to protect the rim and anchor the defense, use their size to crash the boards effectively and keep up with teammates who want to play fast – all while staying out of foul trouble.

Following a spring in which both dealt with injuries, Fischer (left elbow) and Heldt (left knee sprain) have focused their energy toward improving themselves for the upcoming season, which often has meant intense battles between the two in practices and open gyms.

"It gets pretty physical," Fischer said. "We've both been banged up before from each other. We've got to go hard to get better and to get that game-like feel."

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Neither takes the physicality to heart. While on some level they are competing for minutes and opportunities on the court, their collective focus is on creating a one-two punch in the middle that their teammates can rely on no matter who is in the game.

In keeping that focus, it helps that the two have built a strong bond that began forming even before Heldt arrived on campus.

"We're extremely close," Fischer said. "As soon as he got here we connected. Even when he was being recruited we felt very comfortable around each other. So we get along very well. I have some family up in Neenah (Heldt's hometown), he knows some people down here, so we had that instant connection."

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As a senior who was a captain last year (Marquette will use game captains this season), Fischer's contributions will be especially important to Marquette's level of success. A preseason second-team all-Big East selection by the league's coaches, Fischer is the Golden Eagles' top returning scorer (12.1 points per game) and rebounder (6.2). He also had the best field-goal percentage, shooting 60.8%. However, he struggled with foul trouble often, fouling out of six of 33 games and collecting four fouls in six others.

As steady as Fischer was, coach Steve Wojciechowski is counting on him to take his game to another level.

"We need Luke, without question, to have the best year he's had as a college basketball player in terms of his production, especially from a rebounding standpoint," Wojciechowski said. "He's been an efficient scorer; we need him to rebound the basketball for our team at a higher level. We need him to be that day-to-day presence that the best veteran leaders are for their teams where you're an everyday guy.

"When guys play with you, they gain confidence, when they're on the court with you they gain confidence because you're rock steady. We need Luke to be that rock for our team if we're going to reach our ceiling."

Heldt's role will be exponentially increased after a freshman season in which he played 101 minutes over 20 games before missing the end of the campaign due to his left knee sprain. Wojciechowski believes Heldt was on an upward trajectory before that injury and with the way he worked in the off-season he's put himself in the best physical shape possible.

"His body is completely changed," Wojciechowski said. "He came in (as a freshman), I think he was over 17% body fat and he's down to under nine now. He's stronger, he's got great condition for a guy his size, his ability to run and his ability to play hard for long stretches are unusual, especially for a young big guy."

For Heldt, the drive to significantly alter his physique had nothing to do with the prospect of getting more court time or improving himself as an individual. As he sweated and pushed in the weight room this summer, his thoughts were about doing his best for his teammates.

"I would say it's less of a selfish thing and more like the team needs me," Heldt said. "I can't be missing a beat; I have to be on my game because it really is just me and Luke as the true centers, so if I'm missing a beat that hurts the team."

While Fischer and Heldt are the Golden Eagles' only true centers, Wojciechowski already has shown that he has a contingency plan. Sam Hauser, a 6-foot-7 freshman from Stevens Point, known best as a three-point sharpshooter, has played center in practices as well as the team's exhibition win over Rockhurst.

It's been an adjustment for Hauser, one that he thinks has gone well. It certainly looked that way against Rockhurst, as in successive possessions at center he had a dunk, blocked a shot and got an offensive rebound for a put-back while getting fouled.

"I think he adjusts pretty quickly to everything," Wojciechowski said. "I mean, obviously, he's not your prototypical center, but you're going to have foul trouble in games where you have to figure out ways to get your best guys on the court. Sam is a guy we can use in a number of different areas."

As much as Hauser may provide a different option at center, Fischer and Heldt still are going to be asked to carry the brunt of the weight at that position.

They've pushed each other to this point and will have to continue to lean on each other for Marquette to be at its best.

"I think Luke has done a good job with Matt and I think Matt has done a good job with Luke," Wojciechowski said. "I think Matt's work ethic, I think Matt's approach, Matt's toughness, I think that's been really good for Luke. And Luke's experience and Luke's approachableness has been really good for Matt."