Students in the engineering program at Purdue University are working to develop an elbow brace to get their star player Isaac Haas back on the court.
Last week, the Purdue senior center fractured his right elbow while trying to grab a rebound against Cal State Fullerton in the first round. And contrary to what most people with a respectable bracket in America may want, the NCAA ruled Haas out for the rest of the tournament.
I thought this was a democracy, but I guess not.
ROSTER NOTE: #Purdue center Isaac Haas will miss the remainder of #MarchMadness with a fractured right elbow. pic.twitter.com/1JciT52PGA
— Purdue Men’s Basketball (@BoilerBall) March 16, 2018
The NCAA’s decision to keep Haas out is an absolute abomination if you ask me. Just take a look at this free throw and you tell me how fine he looks.
#Purdue senior Isaac Haas taking free throws with left hand. pic.twitter.com/w28eTHo0S6
— Andrew Pogar (@AndrewPogar) March 18, 2018
The guy has an indomitable spirit and it’s honestly senseless that the NCAA won’t let him play. It’s downright cruel and inhumane not to let a guy with a shattered elbow compete in a demanding and potentially dangerous sport.
Well, the fine engineers at Purdue must be with me because they’ve started an effort to develop an NCAA-regulation brace that will allow Haas to play. Purdue coach Matt Painter confirmed it Monday.
“They might be trying to do that,” Painter told a press pool on Monday. According to the Lafayette Journal & Courier, students at Purdue’s sports medicine program just teamed up with the engineering program to develop something — anything — to get Haas back out there. Which is just awesome.
And they better get on it fast because Purdue’s next game is against third-seeded Texas Tech this Friday. I know engineering is kind of Purdue’s thing, but I really need them to move quickly because I have Purdue advancing to the Elite 8 and I can’t afford to bust my bracket any more than it already is. I have like $10 riding on this.
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