Purdue star big man Isaac Haas will miss the remainder of the 2018 NCAA Tournament after suffering a fractured right elbow in the team’s 74-48 win over Cal State Fullerton. The loss is a major blow to the second-seeded Boilermakers’ chances of making a deep run this March.
Haas, a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award as the nation’s top center, recorded nine points and 10 assists in Purdue’s first-round victory. During the regular season, the senior averaged 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while leading the team to a 28-6 record.
The announcement says that Haas suffered the injury midway through the second half when he fell on his elbow while battling for a rebound. He stayed in the game afterwards but X-rays revealed that he fractured the elbow and needs to undergo surgery.
As a hulking 7’2 center who anchored the Boilermakers’ defense in addition to his contributions on the offensive end, this loss will hurt Purdue on both sides of the court. He was second on the team in points, rebounds and blocks per game, and led the way by hitting 62.1 percent of his shots.
Even for a talented team that still has Carsen Edwards, Vincent Edwards, and Dakota Mathias, the loss of Haas in the middle will put Purdue in a tough position. The Boilermakers will play No. 10 seed Butler in the second round Saturday.
