NCAAM teams
Dan Murphy, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Purdue's Isaac Haas (fractured elbow) practices but not expected to play

Men's College Basketball, Purdue Boilermakers

DETROIT -- Purdue center Isaac Haas participated in parts of the Boilermakers' practice on Saturday, one day after fracturing his elbow, but head coach Matt Painter said he does not expect the 7-foot-2 forward to be able to return for any part of the NCAA tournament.

Haas fell hard on his right arm in the second half of Purdue's first-round victory over Cal State Fullerton Friday. He stayed in the game for several minutes and said he thought he would be healthy enough to play shortly after the game ended. However, a subsequent X-ray revealed a fracture in his elbow that will require surgery.

Painter said the senior is still hanging on to hope that his college career hasn't come to an end.

"He's trying to convince me, but it is what it is," Painter said. "His future is more important."

Haas ran the floor during Purdue's practice Saturday and attempted some left-handed free throw attempts while working with a new brace on his right arm. Purdue is getting the brace cleared by the NCAA, but Painter said that decision was more for Haas' well-being and to allow the senior to go through warm-ups with his teammates.

Purdue expects Haas will be able to join his team on the bench for Sunday afternoon's game against 10-seed Butler.

Redshirt freshman Matt Haarms will replace Haas in the starting lineup Sunday. The 7-foot-3 native of the Netherlands has played 16.6 minutes per game this season while regularly spelling Haas. Haarms played 27 minutes against Butler when the two Indiana-based teams met in a non-conference game in December.

Haarms said he was upset to learn that Haas was injured but was confident in his team's ability to move forward without their starting big man.

"We're still a really good team, we believe," Haarms said. "...I've got a little more mobility. I'm a little faster out there, running the floor a little more. It's exactly what you've been seeing. It's not like I haven't been playing. You're just going to see more of me and what I've been doing all year."

Painter said Haarms brings a high level of energy as a shot-blocker on defense and can open up Purdue's offense with his mobility. He said he didn't think Haas' absence would drastically change how the Boilermakers play because the 290-pound center rarely played much more than half of the time in games this year.

Haas and Painter both seemed to think he would be healthy enough to play in the immediate aftermath of Friday's game. Painter said he wasn't thinking about contingency plans for Haas until he received a text message with news of the injury midway through watching Butler's opening-round game.

"I didn't think it was possible. Even though I knew [the X-ray] was happening, I wasn't even waiting on it," Painter said. "I was sitting there trying to figure out Butler."

Painter now sees it as equally unlikely that Haas will be able to play again this season. He said Haas would have to prove that he can raise his arm above his head with a two-handed rebound.

"I'm not a doctor, but I wouldn't think he plays," Painter said. "He's fractured his elbow."

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