Haas Named Finalist For Kyle Macy National Freshman of the Year 

 
Purdue freshman center Isaac Haas is one of 21 players nationally named a finalist for the Kyle Macy Freshman of the Year award, announced today by CollegeInsider.com(.)

Haas is one of four Big Ten players up for the award and is joined on the list by Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell, Maryland’s Melo Trimble and Indiana’s James Blackmon, Jr.

The 7-2, 297-pound Hokes Bluff, Alabama, native had a strong freshman campaign, averaging 7.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG in just 14.6 minutes per game. He added 25 blocked shots and shot 53.5 percent from the field while helping the Boilermakers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012. Haas was one of 11 freshmen nationally to shoot at least 53.0 percent from the field, block 25 shots and average 7.5 PPG and 4.0 RPG, and was the only player to do so in under 20.0 minutes per game.

In addition, Haas was the only player in America to shoot 130 or more free throws this season in under 15.0 minutes per game, and is the only player nationally since the 2010-11 season to accomplish that feat.

Haas scored a career-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting against Kansas State in the EASports Maui Invitational. He also added 11 points against Wisconsin in the team’s first meeting, had 10 points against Iowa in a 67-63 win over the 25th-ranked Hawkeyes and scored 12 points with nine rebounds in just 12 minutes in Purdue’s 67-63 win over Indiana at Assembly Hall. He tallied 12, 13 and 10 points against NCAA Tournament-teams BYU, North Carolina State and Notre Dame respectively.

Haas is part of a freshman class that scored 797 points this year, the fifth most by a freshman class in school history.

Purdue went 21-13 this past season and will return four starters and nine of its top 10 players for the 2015-16 season.