Purdue’s run in the NCAA Tournament has ended in the Sweet Sixteen to Texas Tech. But would it had been different if Isaac Haas was able to play?
An argument can be made that the season for Purdue effectively ended in the first-round against Cal State Fullerton. That’s when the second-leading scorer for the Boilermakers Isaac Haas went down with an elbow injury that effectively ended his career.
It was a huge blow to the team both physically and emotionally, and they nearly fell in the Round of 32 to Butler. There was a glimmer of hope that with a few days off – and a brace created by the school’s engineering students, that Haas would somehow play. But head coach Matt Painter was having none of it, leaving the seven-footer on the bench.
With the competition getting tougher, the margin of error for Purdue continued to shrink. And playing a Texas Tech team that was a win away from history didn’t help things either. Haas’s replacement Matt Haarms played his best, but he could only produce four points, three rebounds, and three turnovers. He also struggled defensively against the Red Raiders who made him pay on pick and rolls.
There wasn’t enough offense for the Boilermakers outside of Carsen Edwards 30 points and the team defense wasn’t the same as before the tournament.
Haas missing the game was huge, as he could’ve had a huge impact on Texas Tech’s defense. The Red Raiders didn’t have one true big that could guard him one-on-one, so they would’ve focused much more on him than they had to with Haarms.
His defensive presence also would’ve been useful against a team that likes to penetrate into the paint, as he would’ve deterred shots.
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There’s nothing worse than a senior going out with an injury before they can finish their career out. And as a basketball fan, there will always be the question as to whether they could’ve beaten both Texas Tech and Villanova. Purdue was a Final Four caliber team throughout most of the season, but cruel fate ended those hopes, rather than an opposing team.