Purdue's Haas sits out vs. Butler as NCAA disallows elbow brace

Purdue fans, brace yourselves.

Despite eyebrow-raising reports that center Isaac Haas would attempt to play through a fractured elbow, a necessary elbow brace was not approved by the NCAA, meaning the 7-foot-2 senior has been ruled out for the Round of 32 matchup with Butler.

"Isaac Haas tried wearing a brace to protect his elbow," tweeted David Worlock, the NCAA's director of media relations. "In accordance with the NCAA MBB rules book, the officials inspected it and determined it didn't meet player safety standards as outlined in Rule 1, Section 26 (page 30) of the rules book."

In his team's first-round win over Cal State Fullerton, Haas came down hard on his right elbow while battling for a rebound. The team initially ruled out the 22-year-old for the remainder of the tournament, before backpedaling his status to doubtful.

Based on Haas' decision to warm up with the team prior to tipoff Sunday, it certainly seems he would have indeed attempted to play had his elbow brace been approved by the league. It's unclear whether the Boilermakers will attempt to have a different brace cleared should they advance to the Sweet 16.

Haas averaged 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game, developing into a crucial member of the starting lineup in his fourth and final collegiate season.