Bracket Busted? Start fresh each round and compete for your chance to win a trip to the 2019 Final Four. Play Round-by-Round now.
Purdue senior Isaac Haas suffered a fractured elbow in the the first game of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Despite practicing with a brace and trying to give it a go in the second round, the NCAA deemed the brace unacceptable which kept him on the sidelines and out of action.
Fortunately for Haas though, Purdue's finest are at work to try and change that.
According to the Lafayette Journal & Courier, Purdue's sports medicine program has reached out to a group of mechanical engineers on campus in an effort to see if they can design an NCAA-approved brace for the 7-foot-2 center ahead of the Sweet 16 to allow Haas to return to the floor.
Haas has remained hopeful that he could play again for the Boilermakers this season despite the injury, although coach Matt Painter has made it clear he doesn't feel Haas will be healthy enough -- brace or no brace. Haas has decided to delay surgery in the event he finds a brace that meets requirements.
"Maybe with some decrease in inflammation. Maybe with some opportunities to rest it without any kind of additional treatment, maybe some natural healing will do it well," Haas said via ESPN. "One thing is for sure: I'm going to ride with these guys as long as they last. I know they'll make it all the way."
Purdue knocked off No. 10 seed Butler in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and will meet No. 3 seed Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
