Isaac Haas Reportedly Practiced Despite Fracture, May Play Through Elbow Injury

Purdue center Isaac Haas was ruled out for the NCAA tournament due to a fracture elbow, the team announced Friday, but that might have been premature.

Allie LaForce of CBS noted he could try to play through the injury:

Haas hit the ground hard during his team's first-round win over Cal State Fullerton, but returned to the court after the injury and finished with nine points and 10 rebounds. He was diagnosed with the injury following the game after undergoing X-rays.

He didn't seem too concerned about the issue after the game prior to learning about the fracture.

"It's fine," the senior said, per Greg Joyce of the New York Post. "I just hit it really hard. It's kind of swollen."

Although he'll still need an OK from medical staff, it seems as though he would be willing to play if it were to come down to simple pain tolerance.

His status could make a significant impact in the tournament with Purdue hoping to win it all. According to OddsShark, the Boilermakers entered Saturday with the fifth-best odds to win a national championship.

Haas ranks second on the team in both points (14.7 per game) and rebounds (5.7 per game) and is one of the toughest matchups in the country thanks to his size at 7'2", 297 pounds. When he isn't scoring, he often still draws double teams and opens things up for teammates.

Even if he is less than 100 percent, his return to the court could represent a significant boost for Purdue going forward.

The squad's next game is set for Sunday against No. 10 Butler.