What Rick Barnes said about Darlinstone Dubar's absence and two Tennessee injuries

Rick Barnes doesn’t know the timetable moving forward for Darlinstone Dubar and when the Tennessee transfer might rejoin the Vols. He didn’t provide any specifics for the “personal matter” that sidelined Dubar Monday in the season opener against Gardner-Webb, either. 

“We’re leaving it up to him,” Barnes said during his postgame press conference, after No. 12 Tennessee won 80-64 at Food City Center. “He’s around and he’s still here with us every day. And we just want to make sure he knows that we’re there for him and everyone around him has been.”

Dubar didn’t practice on Thursday afternoon Pratt Pavilion, the last practice that was open to media before the Gardner-Webb game, when he was initially ruled out due to the personal matter. Dubar watched practice from the bench and was with his teammates on the bench Monday night, too.

Tennessee freshman Bishop Boswell out with concussion

Dubar was the first of four NCAA Transfer Portal additions made by the Vols early in the offseason. He committed to Tennessee on April 15 out of Hofstra, where last season he averaged a career-high 17.8 points per game in 33 games, shooting 53.9% from the floor and 39.9% from the 3-point line. He also averaged 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 34.6 minutes per game. 

Dubar’s official status is day-to-day, according to the Vols. He played just six minutes off the bench in the 66-62 exhibition loss to Indiana on October 27 in Knoxville.

“Tough time for him, just personally,” Barnes said, refereeing the personal matter. “But I think he has dealt with it for a while. But we love him to death and we miss him. But it’s up to him. It’s all on his time.”

Bishop Boswell was also out Monday, with the freshman point guard in concussion protocol.

Felix Okpara dealing with hip pointer, JP Estrella working way back

Barnes said after the game that Felix Okpara, the transfer center from Ohio State, is dealing with “a really pretty serious hip pointer” and sophomore forward JP Estrella is still on his way back to 100% after dealing with a foot issue that limited him over the summer and during the preseason.

Okpara started and played 25 minutes, finishing with two points and nine rebounds. He went 0-for-3 from the floor. Estrella played 12 minutes off the bench, scoring four points and grabbing two rebounds.

“Honestly, since I’ve known Felix, it’s probably the toughest day he has had,” Barnes said Monday night. “Not to make excuses, but to tell the truth, he’s got a really pretty serious hip pointer, but he absolutely refuses to come out of practice and play in the game. I mean, he’s going to play. And I thought he was slow getting off the ball, which he’s not normally slow at doing that. 

“But I’m really proud of the fact that, if you’ve ever dealt with a hip pointer you know what it’s like. And I can show you film in practice where he’s almost trying to protect it with his hands.”

Estrella didn’t go through shootaround with his Tennessee teammates earlier on Monday due to a right ankle issue. Barnes said he thought he would be out for Monday night’s game, but Estrella decided he want to try to play. 

“Which I think is a major step for him,” Barnes said. “Because, is he a 100%? No. But I thought his minutes were valuable for us tonight. And to get to the shape that he needs to be in, he’s going have to do things like he did tonight. Because if he sits, it’s not just going to happen. It won’t just happen. 

“And the longer the train starts rolling and he’s not a part of it, the harder it is for him to catch up. And he can be a real force for us if he can just get healthy and stay healthy. But I’m proud of him because he, again, was not 100% but he fought through it.”