Tennessee once again flexed its depth. But with just two more tune-ups before facing Rutgers and Houston in the Players Era Championship, the Vols still need to find consistency on both ends.
The Vols pulled away to topple North Florida 99-66 on Wednesday.
A win that again highlighted both Tennessee’s potential and its growing pains. J.P. Estrella continues to emerge as a steady inside presence, the defense remains a work in progress, and the search for a reliable option at shooting guard is ongoing.
Here are three takeaways from another tune-up contest.
Evolving Estrella:
Three games into the season, J.P. Estrella has made the most of his minutes.
The sophomore missed most of last year with a foot fracture, but he’s quickly showing how far he’s come.
Against North Florida, Estrella scored at all levels, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds on 11-of-14 shooting. The 6-foot-11 forward showed growing versatility.
Wednesday night Estrella found his second-straight double-double and third straight double-digit scoring effort.
He finished on lobs and post-ups and knocking down the first three-pointer of his career.
Estrella’s rise gives Tennessee a true inside option.
However, the Vols’ frontcourt hasn’t yet faced real size.
North Florida, the tallest team Tennessee has clashed with this season, ranks just 211th nationally in height, so the real test will come in Las Vegas against similar length and athleticism UT will see in SEC play.
Developing Defense:
Rick Barnes is a stickler for quality defense, but UT lacked focus early. North Florida led 22–21 midway through the first half by capitalizing on fastbreaks, blown assignments and second-chance points.
Those lapses are uncharacteristic for a Barnes-led team. After the under-eight timeout, Tennessee flipped the switch forcing turnovers, running the floor and ending the first half on a 15–0 run fueled by its defense. That surge gave the Vols control for good.
Taking over the Two:
Bishop Boswell is still dealing with a right foot injury he suffered when he was stepped on against Northern Kentucky. Tennessee used a mix of players in his absence, looking for someone to claim the role.
Ethan Burg started but struggled, finishing with two points on 1-for-3 shooting and committing two turnovers in 15 minutes.
Barnes also gave Amaree Abram, Troy Henderson and Amari Evans chances at the spot. Abram looked the most comfortable by going 3-for-4 from the field, including drilling a three-pointer.
Barnes said earlier this week that the rotation will stay fluid, with several players seeing around 10 minutes each until someone separates. For now, Abram is the only guard who put up a stat line worthy of grabbing more playing time.
Estrella’s emergence breeds excitement.
Tennessee still has some holes to fill before the true competition begins.
The Vols have two more games against mid-majors to tighten up their defensive effort and fill the shooting guard role before the bright lights in Las Vegas demand a higher level.
