J.P. Estrella is making up for lost time after playing in just three games last season before undergoing left foot surgery.
The 6-foot-11 big man has opened this season with three consecutive standout performances. He aims for another strong showing when No. 20 Tennessee (3-0) faces Rice (2-2) on Monday night at Knoxville, Tenn.
Though he serves as the backup to starting center Felix Okpara, Estrella quickly has displayed that he’s fully recovered from the foot injury. He’s averaging 17.3 points on 71.4% shooting (25 of 35) for the Volunteers and ranks second in scoring behind freshman Nate Ament (20.7). Estrella and Ament are tied for the team rebounding lead with 8.7 boards per game.
Estrella has been especially good the past two games while playing just 20 minutes in each.
He had 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and collected a career-best 11 rebounds in a 95-56 rout of Northern Kentucky on Nov. 8. Estrella followed up with a career-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s 99-66 drubbing of North Florida.
The strong play out of the gates has been a stunner to most people, but not to Tennessee coach Rick Barnes.
“I don’t think we’re surprised because we told him, from the day that we recruited him, what we thought he could be,” Barnes said. “And we do think, as a staff, the last two weeks, his mindset has changed. I mean, I think missing a year. We knew that would take a little bit of time, but he’s gotten so much better with his focus in practice.
“And I don’t think there’s any secret to this game. It’s a game of habit. It’s a major mindset game, and he’s been able to carry over into the games what he’s been able to do in practice the last couple weeks.”
Tennessee starting guard Bishop Boswell (right foot) missed the North Florida game. His status for Monday’s game is unclear.
The Volunteers will be looking for their 40th consecutive nonconference home victory when they entertain Rice.
Owls coach Rob Lanier spent 10 seasons as an assistant under Barnes — six campaigns (1999-2001, 2011-15) at Texas and four at Tennessee (2015-19).
“Rob has meant as much to me as any one of our coaches,” Barnes said. “He made an incredible impact, and was extremely responsible, a lot, for what went on at Texas, and came here and was a huge part of what we’ve been able to build here. … He’s a terrific basketball coach.”
Rice is coming off Friday’s 71-64 home win over East Texas A&M.
Jalen Smith recorded 18 points, five rebounds and three steals, Trae Broadnax added 15 points and seven rebounds and Dallas Hobbs also scored 15 points.
Lanier was happy to see his team even its record.
“Obviously, it’s a good win. We needed a win,” Lanier said. “I think we’ve got a good group with a lot of upside and potential. They needed to win a game together. I thought that was important. But at the same time, they left a lot of room for improvement out there. It gives us something to build on.”
Broadnax leads the Owls with a 16.5 scoring average. Nick Anderson (13.5) has knocked down a team-best 12 of 21 3-point attempts while Smith (13.3 ppg) has made 10 of 19. Rice is hitting 44.4% (40 of 90) behind the arc.
The Owls lost their lone previous road game, but put up a good fight before falling 67-63 on Nov. 7 at Oregon.
–Field Level Media
