Rick Barnes provides injury update for standout big JP Estrella
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Tennessee forward JP Estrella missed Wednesday night’s matchup against Oklahoma with what head coach Rick Barnes described as “left-foot soreness.” Even without Estrella, the Vols were able to notch a 23-point win over a struggling Sooners defense.
Following the game, Barnes was asked to provide an update for Estrella, and his answer was slightly more concerning than Vol Nation would hope for. Barnes appeared to be frustrated with Estrella, insisting there is “no question” the pain in Estrella’s leg is concerning, because it’s the same foot that required surgery and kept him out all of last season. Barnes also insisted that Estrella knew about the soreness before telling the Tennessee staff.
However, there is some good news. Barnes told reporters that the X-Ray looked better for Estrella this time around and that Tennessee will remain cautious with Estrella. Tennessee provided an update just before the game that said Estrella’s injury would be considered day-to-day moving forward.
Thankfully for Tennessee, the Vols can afford to be cautious with Estrella. Felix Okpara turned in one of his best performances this season last night against the Sooners, and freshman DeWayne Brown is really coming unto his own as a reserve 4 behind Jaylen Carey.
Tennessee has steadily improved since the start of SEC play, and the Vols are set to earn a 5 or 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they keep at this pace. Here’s a look at the latest probabilities for the top NCAA Tournament contenders to cut down the nets in April, via Kalshi.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
