DETROIT -- The biggest and strongest elbow on Purdue’s roster sat buried in a bundle of metal and tape Sunday afternoon, but the No. 2-seeded Boilermakers managed to hold a dangerous Butler team at an arm’s length away anyway.
Purdue advanced to its second consecutive Sweet 16 with a 76-73 win over Butler despite missing 7-foot-2 center Isaac Haas, who fractured his elbow in the team’s first round victory Friday. The Boilermakers flexed enough depth and presence by the rim despite the big man’s absence to show that their hopes of a Final Four run need not be dashed just yet.