Injury to Isaac Haas dims Purdue’s NCAA Tournament hopes
By Chris Stone
Isaac Haas’ injury is a major bummer for Purdue.
Purdue’s starting center Isaac Haas will miss the remainder of the NCAA Tournament after suffering a fractured right elbow in a win over Cal State Fullerton on Friday, the school announced via Twitter. Haas suffered the injury midway through the second half.
The senior big man was averaging 14.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest this season.
Haas’ absence figures to have significant ramifications for the Boilermakers who play a four out, one in system offensively that hinges on Haas’ ability to score one-on-one in the post. The team’s offense has been seven points per 100 possessions better this season with Haas on the floor, per Hoop Lens.
Losing Haas’ post scoring itself is a problem. Prior to Friday’s contest, he was averaging 1.118 points per possession (95th percentile) on post ups, per Synergy.
When he wasn’t knocking down hook shots or spinning to the rim, Haas was getting to the foul line. His 6.9 fouls drawn per 40 minutes rank 23rd in the nation, per KenPom. The Boilermakers’ free throw rate drops from .387 to .298 when Haas hits the bench. Their free throw shooting also tumbles. Haas is an excellent foul shooter for a big man, clocking in at 75.8 percent. His likely replacement, freshman Matt Haarms, has made just over half his free throw attempts this season.
Haas’ post presence also often forced double teams from the perimeter that opened up shots for Purdue’s deadly 3-point attack. The Boilermakers have made 42.0 percent of their 3s this season, but their catch-and-shoot numbers swing a bit when they’re defended. Purdue averages 1.383 points per possession on uncontested catch-and-shoot attempts versus 1.125 when they’re guarded, per Synergy.
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Luckily, the Boilermakers’ defense likely won’t be hurt too much by Haas’ injury. The senior accounts for a difference of just two points per 100 possessions on that end, per Hoop Lens. Haarms is an above average replacement defensively and boasts a top 10 block rate in the country. Opponents have made just 39.7 percent of their 2s with him on the floor this season.
Purdue entered the 2018 NCAA Tournament with Final Four level expectations, but Haas’ injury will likely lower the bar. His presence on offense simply means too much.