Three months into the season, most college basketball teams have their rotations locked in. But Tennessee?
Not quite. Rick Barnes has been in lineup-limbo for much of the year, navigating a roster full of new faces, nagging injuries, and youthful inexperience.
But after weeks of mixing and matching, it looks like the Vols may have found something that sticks - and it’s big.
Literally.
Barnes has gone back to size, and the early returns are promising. The recent injury to Troy Henderson may have nudged things in that direction, but it’s been J.P.
Estrella who’s stepped up and seized the opportunity. The 6-foot-11 freshman has cracked the starting five, joining forces with fellow 6-11 big man Felix Okpara and 6-10 wing Nate Ament.
That trio gives Tennessee one of the most imposing frontcourts in college basketball - and it’s starting to pay off.
“I just feel like this is who this team was built to have - those big guys out there,” Barnes said this week. “The more they’re out there in these situations, learning how to guard when we have to start switching - which we did - that’s the way for us to go right now. And by that, it gives us an advantage on most nights where we can get to the glass.”
That advantage was on full display in Athens. Tennessee absolutely dominated Georgia on the boards, winning the rebounding battle 52-27 - including a jaw-dropping 26 offensive rebounds. Estrella had one of the biggest of the night, grabbing a clutch putback in overtime to give the Vols a late lead they wouldn’t give back.
“When he starts rebounding, he does a good job talking,” Barnes said of Estrella. “And he did, again, he came up big. When he goes up and gets it with two hands, he’s really a force.”
Estrella finished with 17 points and nine rebounds on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting night. But it’s not just the numbers - it’s how he’s doing it.
Barnes has been searching all season for a consistent interior presence and a third scoring option behind Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Nate Ament. Estrella might just be the answer to both.
“We feel our post guys can score,” Barnes said. “But you could tell he got lost in it and playing.
And when he does that, he’s really good. He’s oftentimes way too hard on himself.
We’ve tried to encourage him to go one play at a time. If it’s a good one, get on to the next.
If it’s a bad one, get on to the next and not beat yourself up.”
That growth is starting to show. After missing time earlier this season, Estrella is finally healthy and logging major minutes - 26 and 31 in his last two outings.
With Jaylen Carey sidelined, those minutes have only increased, and so has Tennessee’s success. The Vols have now won two tough road games in that stretch, and it’s no coincidence that Estrella has been a big part of both.
If he can keep this up - and keep growing - Tennessee’s ceiling shifts. Ament has been on an upward trend himself, and if Estrella joins him as a reliable contributor, suddenly the Vols have a frontcourt that can overwhelm opponents on both ends.
“He’s just getting started,” Barnes said. “And I think the more success he has, the more he’s gonna climb that plateau and keep going.
Because throughout the year, you do hit plateaus. And can you keep climbing?
If you just stay there, you’re going backwards because everybody else is getting better.”
That’s the challenge now - not just for Estrella, but for Tennessee as a whole. The Vols have found something that works. The question is: can they build on it?
Barnes seems to think so.
“I’m gonna tell him tomorrow, there’s still more,” he said. “He’s raised the bar to where he’s doing what we know that he can do, but now we expect him to raise the bar even more.”