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Purdue’s Isaac Haas Embracing Reserve Role
Purdue center Isaac Haas started the Boilermakers' first 15 games before a rough stretch sent him to the bench. But rather than sulk, Haas used it as motivation and is thriving in a different role.
January 20, 2017
Purdue center Isaac Haas started the Boilermakers’ first 15 games before a rough stretch sent him to the bench. But rather than sulk, Haas used it as motivation and is thriving in a different role.
Coming off the bench is nothing new for Isaac Haas. The 7-foot-2 center started only 26 of the 69 games he played over his freshman and sophomore seasons.
But with fellow 7-footer A.J. Hammons exhausting his eligibility, coach Matt Painter made Haas the full-time starter heading into this season to help complement budding star Caleb Swanigan down low. Haas scored at least 22 points in three of Purdue’s first four games, and everything appeared to be going as planned.
Then Haas’ play became inconsistent, and after he finished with just six points and four turnovers in 19 minutes of a loss to Minnesota on Jan. 1, Painter decided it would be best to go with a smaller lineup with Haas coming off the bench.
Haas had no choice but to use the demotion as motivation.
“(Coach) made that decision and I took it as kind of a fire under me to get back to work,” Haas told Campus Insiders. “Our team is smaller, quicker, everyone who’s (starting) can shoot now. We’re taking advantage of that, opening up 3-point shots, then when those are going in it opens up things on the inside for me and Caleb Swanigan.”
Haas has come off the bench the last four games and is averaging 14 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 61.8 percent from the floor. He’s coming off a 24-point performance in Tuesday’s win over Illinois as No. 21 Purdue improved to 15-4 and 4-2 in Big Ten play.
That’s the type of effort Haas expected to have regularly entering the season. His scoring average is up to 13.9 from 9.8 last season and is playing over seven minutes more per game.
“You kind of put yourself in a position all offseason to be that kind of role player and be that kind of physical presence on the inside,” Haas said. “In my own time I was putting in extra work and putting myself in position to make decisions – smart decisions. Since I’ve been playing well my minutes have gone up again and I hope to improve upon that as well and play even more.”
Haas is hoping that hard work will pay off in the postseason as well. Purdue was 26-8 heading into last year’s NCAA Tournament and earned a No. 5 seed after playing in the Big Ten tournament championship game. But Haas scored seven points in only 12 minutes as the Boilermakers lost to 12th-seeded Arkansas-Little Rock in double overtime.
“Having that experience and that deep hurt from that loss was tough to swallow and you kind of think about it all offseason,” Haas said. “You think, ‘What could I have done better?’ and then you apply it in the offseason and apply it in season. You put in the extra work, put in the extra time and you just go out there and take it out on everyone else. That’s the only way I can explain it.”
And he believes Purdue has what it takes to make a deeper run this year. Haas provides the muscle inside and feeds off the attention given to Swanigan, who is a national player of the year candidate averaging 18.4 points and 12.5 rebounds with four 20-20 games, which are more than the rest of the country has combined.
Haas is expected to come off the bench again when Purdue hosts Penn State on Saturday, and that’s just fine with him. He’ll do whatever it takes to help the Boilermakers succeed in the long run.
“I expect to (win) the national championship. I think we have the talent and intelligence needed,” Haas said. “Obviously that’s a tough future going against teams like Villanova, North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky. Those are going to be top 1, 2 seeded teams almost every year.
“I look forward to the challenge of that and I’m ready to go out and show these guys that we’re here, too.”
