Rick Barnes explains how JP Estrella has been one of Tennessee's 'biggest surprises'
It was a surprise when freshman center JP Estrella weighed 233 pounds, 23 pounds heavier than he was listed on his On3 recruiting profile, when he arrived in Knoxville to enroll at Tennessee earlier this summer.
That’s not where the pleasant surprises have ended, either.
“In some ways,” head coach Rick Barnes said before Tennessee’s workout on Tuesday at Pratt Pavilion, “I might tell you that JP has been one of the biggest surprises in terms of his competitive spirit.”
Barnes said Estrella and junior center Jonas Aidoo “went at it early a little bit” during summer workouts. And now that Tobe Awaka is back on campus, after playing with Team USA in the FIBA U-19 World Cup, “it’s a whole different ballgame” for Estrella.
“Which is going to help him,” Barnes said.
JP Estrella was a four-star recruit, ranked No. 60 overall in On3 Industry Ranking
The 6-foot-11 Estrella, out of South Portland, Maine, was a four-star prospect in the 2023 class, ranked No. 60 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the No. 8 center in the class and ranked No. 3 overall in the state of New Hampshire, where he attended Brewster Academy.
Barnes said the Vols knew what they were getting in their new big man, at least when it comes to skill. But other questions are answered once players get on campus.
“In terms of his work ethic, we knew he had the character,” he said. “I’ve said many times that you don’t know about a competitive spirit or a work ethic until you’re really with somebody. He has both of those and he has a bright future.”
Rick Barnes: ‘(It’s) just a matter of getting consistent’
The question moving forward is how much Estrella will be asked to help the Vols as a freshman this season.
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There was attrition in the paint on Thursday, when former Harvard transfer forward Chris Ledlum left Tennessee after just three months and re-entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Now the depth chart among forwards is Aidoo, Awaka and Estrella, along with Josiah-Jordan James and Dalton Knecht getting minutes at the four.
The answer, according to Barnes, comes down to consistency.
“He can do a lot of different things,” Barnes said of Estrella, “(it’s) just a matter of getting consistent. And like any young guy coming in, (he’s) adjusting to the physicality, to the grind of what he has to go through.
“Because I’m sure he would tell you if he were standing here this is one of the hardest things he’s gone through to this point. But he’s handled everything extremely well.”
