The Boilermakers coach on his senior center's broken right elbow and the challenge Butler presents in the round of 32. Nathan Baird/Journal & Courier

The Boilermakers are aware of the program's snakebitten postseason history.


DETROIT — Carsen Edwards had barely opened his mouth to answer a question when something across the Purdue locker room caught his eye.

"Where'd you get that," Edwards asked Aaron Wheeler. The redshirt freshman handed over the substance that made Edwards' eyes grow so wide: a dollop of hand cream.

In many ways, life went on as normal around Purdue basketball on Saturday. No solemn period of mourning had settled in over the 24 hours since the program announced center Isaac Haas would miss the rest of the NCAA Tournament with a fractured right elbow.

Initial reactions ran the spectrum of emotion from shock to sadness.

"I didn't think it was possible," Painter said of his thoughts upon receiving the text message that confirmed the fracture.

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Painter received that news at around the under-eight minute timeout of the Butler game. He relayed the news to team during its team meal at the hotel. The players finished their meal, watched the end of the game and conferred in a team meeting.

By Saturday, the Boilermakers spoke with defiance that they wouldn't allow one injury — even a major one, even to one a centerpiece star — to derail them Sunday against Butler or beyond.

"We were sad for about 30 minutes," senior point guard P.J. Thompson said. "Then we found out we play Butler in the NCAA Tournament and you move on. You realize he wants us to win for him and we didn't come here to lose in the second round."


The Boilermaker redshirt freshman on stepping up with Isaac Haas out and the rematch with Butler in the NCAA Tournament's round of 32. Nathan Baird/Journal & Courier

Haas was not available to the media Saturday. He was receiving treatment on the elbow during the team's open locker room period.

Painter confirmed Haas wore a protective brace during Saturday's practice. The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award finalist shot left-handed free throws and ran the court in a few drills.

However, when asked about reports the team sought approval of the brace from the NCAA, Painter dismissed Haas' chances of playing against the Bulldogs.

"We're doing that more for Isaac's well-being," Painter said. "If that means he can go out there and do stuff and warm up, that's great."

Purdue fans have been through this before. So has Painter, when Robbie Hummel's ACL tears hindered the postseason potential of the 2008-09 and 2009-10 Boilermakers.

For the first time in four years, the current Boilermakers faced the adversity of a significant injury to a pivotal player at a critical juncture. They know Purdue's history, however. They're aware of the narrative that a cloud of bad luck hovers over the program's aspirations.


The Boilermakers' junior center on his possible larger role in the wake of Isaac Haas' broken right elbow and the message his friend gave him. Nathan Baird/Journal & Courier

Jacquil Taylor dismissed such talk as a '"distraction." Grady Eifert called it "noise" and "chatter." Yet this team now faces the challenge of changing that narrative not by avoiding adversity but by persevering through it.

"The previous stuff has nothing to do with us," Thompson said. "But it's weird how it happens again. It sucks, because I remember what happened with Robbie.

"... Injuries are part of sports, though. It's about having that next-man-up mentality, that pro mentality, to come back and be stronger from it."