J.P. Estrella was on the floor in an SEC game for nine minutes on Tuesday night and for the first time in his short college basketball career, he looked like he belonged there.
The 6-foot-11 Tennessee freshman forward tied a career-high in scoring with 7 points, grabbed one rebound and recorded a block on the defensive end in the No. 6 Vols' 85-66 thumping of Florida at Food City Center.
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Estrella entered the game averaging five minutes, 1.9 points and 0.7 rebounds in 11 previous appearances and he had yet to see action in Tennessee's three conference games, but the performance may have been a sign of more playing time in big games.
“I thought (Estrella's) confidence looked good and I think that happens when you’re doing what you’re supposed to do," Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. "I mean, he was really trying to work it, getting into his coverage with the ball screens and getting in a stance. And I think that when it goes back to preparation, doing your work, knowing it, when you’re called on, you’re going to be ready. And we’ve talked about what we need from him and if he’ll keep building, he can help us every game and he would, he will play every game. If he’ll come back, practice well Thursday, Friday, get ready for the game Saturday. And he gives us another big body and a guy that we think, I’m telling you, the guy can score the basketball and got good hands.
"But I thought today his confidence, I thought he looked good. I thought he looked like he truly belonged out there, but I will go back. It was his preparation, getting ready for the game.”
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For Estrella, it took a moment to sink it.
This time a year ago he was playing high school basketball at the Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. Now he was getting first half minutes in a league game, matching up against bigger, physical players than he had faced before.
"It was kind of like a surreal moment," Estralla said. "I was like, 'Man, this is super sick.' But, it felt the same, except physicality-wise. It definitely felt way more physical. A lot bigger, stronger dudes in the SEC, so it was super fun to match up with those guys."
As awestruck as Estrella might have felt at first, the confidence that Barnes saw was evident to everyone else watching.
Estrella didn't shy away from the physicality. He embraced it, putting his body on the line by going up for dunks and getting to the free throw line. Going up against Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka everyday in practice can build a lot of confidence.
"I feel like I've been preparing for this moment everyday at practice," Estrella said. "Going up against Jonas and Tobe everyday. (Barnes) gave me the opportunity today and I really took advantage of it and I think I did a good job."
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Facing Aidoo, who is playing his best basketball in his junior season with Tennessee as one of the best bigs in the conference, averaging 11.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, has especially helped in Estrella's transition.
One sequence in the second half against Florida was a direct result of the kind of adjustments Estrella has learned to make when playing against Aidoo.
After Estrella grabbed an offensive rebound off of a rare Dalton Knecht miss, he hooked a shot high over 7-foot-1 Micah Handlogten. It fell through to put the Vols up 57-42 with less than 15 minutes left.
"(Aidoo) challenges my shot every time I go to the rim," Estrella said. "It's very hard to score on him and I feel like it really showed today. I had a nice offensive rebound and hook shot over some dude and I feel like Jonas has really prepared me for moments like that. That I make sure when I shoot the ball it gets up above the rim so no one is able to block it."
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