After sitting on the sidelines for nearly a year, Tennessee forward JP Estrella is finally back; healthy, hungry, and smiling again.
The 6-foot-11 sophomore missed much of last season after undergoing surgery on a lingering left foot injury.
That setback that tested his patience but also deepened his love for the game.
Now, as the 2025–26 season tips off, Estrella said the wait made the return that much sweeter.
“I am ecstatic. You know, I cannot wait,” Estrella said. “It feels like I haven’t played basketball in 15 years, but I’m just super excited to get on that court and just play with the guys. I just, I can’t wait.”
That joy showed from the moment he was cleared for full contact.
His first practice back wasn’t just about running through drills, it was about feeling whole again.
“I remember running on the court getting ready to go,” Estrella recalled. “Things went along, and I just remember Coach (Rick) Barnes yelling at me. I was like, ‘Ah, I missed this so much!’ It was amazing. I knew he wanted to make me run so bad the second I got out there.”
“I was ecstatic. I was so ready to get on the court,” Estrella added.
That familiar voice from Barnes; sharp, demanding, and relentless, was music to Estrella’s ears after months of quiet rehab work.
“Honestly, as much as I thought I didn’t miss it, I missed it,” he said.
“Obviously, sometimes in practice it kind of sucks when he’s yelling at you, but you know, it just happens. And then after practice, being able to crack jokes with the guys, kind of like, being like, ‘Oh yeah, I was in one of those jokes earlier.’ So it’s definitely a lot better getting yelled at than not getting yelled at.”
When Estrella finally took contact again, driving, dunking, and competing he couldn’t help but let the emotion pour out.
“I probably had a huge smile on my face,” Estrella said with a laugh. “Was probably joking, yelling. I was probably just ecstatic.”
That first slam meant more than just two points. It marked the culmination of a long, patient rebuild.
“I get so much more happy now,” Estrella said. “Like having that year off kind of made me realize how much I really love this sport, and every day is just, I’m so happy to be out here again.”
Through the months of recovery, Estrella said he learned the importance of pace.
“I kind of learned not to rush things and kind of just let time do its thing,” he said. “I feel like my freshman year, I was kind of just, like, jumping the gun a lot. Trying to, all right, let’s get this done, get this done.”
“Well now, like, kind of sitting out the year, just seeing things from a different perspective, kind of like learning, just take your time. You know, do everything the right way. Just take it step by step, and good things will come out of it.”
Watching from the bench gave him a new vantage point, too, one that’s slowing the game down and sharpening his feel for it.
“Yeah, definitely,” Estrella said. “I mean, seeing basketball from a completely different way. So on the bench, seeing, like, different spaces, different gaps, different angles, just little stuff like that. It’s kind of slowed the game down for me a little bit, and it’s made it a little bit easier for me to, you know, just play basketball.”
This year’s Tennessee team has plenty of new faces, but Estrella said the chemistry came fast and the laughs came even faster.
“Yeah, it’s just as tight,” he said. “Every year I feel like going into it, I get nervous because I don’t know the guys that well, and then a couple weeks go by, and then bam, we’re all just super close. This group of guys is, it’s hilarious as per usual. You know, we got a great group. Everyone’s cracking jokes with each other. I mean, I can’t ask for anything more. It’s a great group of guys.”
As he looked ahead to his return to Thompson-Boling Arena, Estrella had already pictured the moment with the crowd, the noise, the Orange.
“I’m just looking forward to putting this jersey on, and actually, like, score a bucket here and there,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out there and just step on the court, feel what it’s like to be with all those thousands of fans. Just can’t wait to be in that environment and just, like, having so many great fans cheering for us.”
Estrella’s goals are simple, but meaningful.
“Just be a good teammate, hit a couple post hooks here and there, get a lot of rebounds and don’t foul out of any games,” he said with a grin. “That’s my goal.”
Estrella stepped onto the court for his first regular season game on Nov. 3 versus Mercer to open the ’25-26 season.
In his season opener he scored a career-high 12 points and five rebounds.
It was his first game since Nov. 13, 2024 versus Montana.
