Vols Lose Key Rotational Piece for Season

By Tucker Harlin

The Tennessee basketball program released unfortunate news in regard to sophomore forward J.P. Estrella.

Estrella announced he will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 basketball season and will undergo surgery on his left foot in order to repair a nagging injury. He pinned a statement to his social media pages Monday.

Estrella committed to Tennessee as a high-end four star out of Maine. The Vols had to fight off several blue bloods like Duke in order to win out in Estrella’s recruitment process.

Despite appearing sparingly in 2023-24, Estrella was expected to make a jump in playing time this season. Felix Okpara and Estrella were anticipated to act as the Vols’ primary big men this season.

With the injury, Okpara remains a vital part of the rotation. In Okpara’s stead, Cade Phillips is beginning to pick up a lot of minutes, all of which have been quality this season.

In a rare instance in which those two aren’t on the floor, look for Darlinstone Dubar and Igor Milicic Jr. to get involved inside. Dubar is returning from a personal matter and slowly gaining more playing time while Milicic has shown an ability to play all five positions.