Carsen Edwards, Haas talk immediate futures; NCAA notebook

More NCAA coverage: End of line for Purdue | Seniors try to process end

BOSTON — Carsen Edwards lit up Texas Tech for 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, but he didn't care one bit Friday.

All he wanted was a Purdue victory, and that didn't happen. The Boilermakers' season ended at the hands of No. 3 seed Texas Tech, in a game that got pushed into double-digits late.

Even less than talking about his essentially wasted offensive performance — in the sense that, again, it came in a loss — would Edwards go down the what's-next-for-him road.

Asked if he would explore the NBA Draft evaluation process, Edwards said he wasn't sure yet.

"Right now, this (loss) just happened, so I'm just taking this in," he said.

Several of his former Purdue teammates have taken part in the evaluation process that allows players to declare for the draft, attend workouts and the Combine but withdrawal without penalty. Outgoing seniors Vincent Edwards and Isaac Haas as well as former Boilermaker Caleb Swanigan did it with considerable benefit.

Coach Matt Painter said he would recommend Edwards give it a go.

"It’d be something that makes sense to do, to put your name in and see where you are with things," Painter said. "The one thing that happens in those situations is nobody’s opinions really matter except the NBA. So when you go there, you listen to what they’re saying, go to the workouts, go to the Combine, whatever situation might be for each individual, but listen to what they’re saying and listen to where they say you’re going to be and why you’re going to be there and what you need to do.

"So many people, the draft becomes like an ego trip. It’s (about) ‘Where am I going to get drafted?’ The question should be, 'Where are you going to play?' The whole point is to get on a team and play on a team, not just to get drafted. I think it’s much different when you’re thinking about going into a draft without a degree vs. going into a draft with a degree. So you have that background. What’s your guarantee if you don’t get in the first round, so you don’t get guaranteed money, you don’t have a degree. To me, that’s a gamble. But I like the process, and I like guys being able to go in there.

"So if he asked me what my opinion is, I would recommend it because you get, really, the only feedback that matters."

Edwards was an All-American as a sophomore, a finalist for national player-of-the-year awards and a first-team all-Big Ten selection.

Isaac Haas said he was going to wait to schedule surgery on his fractured right elbow until Purdue's postseason run was done — he wanted to stay an emergency option for his teammates.

But, with the season over, Haas will take the next step toward a recovery.

He said he's having surgery Monday in Indianapolis. He'll have a plate and screws inserted in the elbow.

"It’s 2-3 months (recovery), not that big of deal," he said. "Should be back completely normal."

P.J. Thompson was eager to draw Texas Tech's All-American guard Keenan Evans and, for the bulk of the game, Thompson held the edge in that matchup.

Evans made only three-of-eight shots, but his lone three-pointer was a pivotal one.

Purdue was within five with under five minutes to play when Evans used a screen to get free, and he drilled the shot.

"The three he hit was huge, just a miscommunication with me and Matt (Haarms)," Thompson said. "But I thought we did a good job on him for a majority of the game."

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