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Purdue looking to get engineering students to help with Isaac Haas’ elbow brace

Cal State Fullerton v Purdue

DETROIT, MI - MARCH 16: Isaac Haas #44 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts after falling to the court on a foul by Cal State Fullerton Titans during the second half of the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Little Caesars Arena on March 16, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Purdue University is an engineering school, and if you know anything about engineers, it’s that they like to build and invent stuff.

And so the basketball program is tapping into that. According to the Journal & Courier, those engineers are trying to find a way to make a brace for 7-foot-3 center Isaac Haas that would allow him to play this weekend. Haas, who broke his elbow in a first round win over Cal St.-Fullerton, tried to play with a brace on Sunday against Butler but it was not approved by the NCAA.

The problem, however, is that regardless of the brace that Purdue puts on Haas, he is still going to be asked to play with a broken elbow on his shooting hand. How will he make free throws? How will he score in the post if he can’t shoot right-handed jump-hooks? How can he, you know, play basketball with one arm?

“He has the best brace you can possibly have on that they didn’t approve,” Painter told reporters on Purdue’s campus Monday afternoon. “So if he has the best brace possible and he can’t shoot a right-handed free throw, this brace isn’t going to be better. It’s just going to be one that’s a little bit less [bulky] and it’s going to get approved. He still has a broken elbow.”

“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 added on Sunday. “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.”

If I’m Purdue, I chase the hell out of this. I do everything I can to find a way to get Haas cleared to at least get on the floor, because -- as cliche as this is going to sound -- the emotional boost that those other three seniors are going to get from seeing the fourth member of their class on the court with a broken elbow in the last games they’ll ever play together will be a benefit.

There is no way that Haas will be a better option than Matt Haarms with this injury.

But getting him on the court, even if just for a few possessions here and there, is something that would be a major boost to the Purdue team.

Get it done, engineers.