Tennessee Basketball updates the status of JP Estrella, Bishop Boswell

Tennessee Basketball will be without sophomore guard Bishop Boswell and redshirt sophomore forward JP Estrella Thursday night against Tennessee State at Food City Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Eastern Time and the game is available on SEC Network+.

Estrella is “day-to-day moving forward,” according to Tennessee, as he will continue to be evaluated. 

The Tennessee State game finishes the five-game homestand to start the season. The Vols will then go to Las Vegas for three games in the Players Era Men’s Championship, playing Rutgers on Monday, No. 2 Houston on Tuesday then a third opponent to be determined on either Wednesday or Thursday.

Boswell is also considered day to day after missing Monday’s 91-66 win over Rice with a leg injury and the 99-66 win over North Florida last week with a foot injury. He missed practice again on Wednesday afternoon.

JP Estrella injured left knee Monday against Rice

Estrella injured his left knee late in the first half against Rice, crumpling to the court in considerable pain. It was reported Wednesday morning that he suffered a bone bruise.

“Avoiding a serious injury was great to hear,” Tennessee assistant coach Gregg Polinsky said before practice Wednesday afternoon.

Estrella, who missed all but three games last season after under-going season-ending foot surgery last November, starred for Tennessee over the first three games this season, averaging 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 19.7 minutes per game off the bench. He had four points and a rebound before leaving with the game against Rice.

He scored a career-high 23 points and had 10 rebounds in the 99-66 win over North Florida last week. It was his second straight double-double, after he had 17 points and 11 rebounds against Northern Kentucky on November 8. He had 12 points and five rebounds in the season-opening win over Mercer on November 3.

Bishop Boswell is ‘going to compete at a high level’

Boswell started the first two games of the season, totaling 11 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes. He played 17 minutes against Mercer and 22 against Northern Kentucky, going 3-for-5 from the 3-point line in the two games. 

Boswell started in the exhibition loss against Duke on October 26, but was scoreless in his 24 minutes on the floor. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said afterward that it was his defense that got him in the starting lineup and extensive minutes.

“Defensively, we want that,” Barnes said. “We felt maybe we could get Moe (Amaree Abram) to come off the bench and give us some offense. I thought Bishop defensively, he’s going to compete at a high level. He’s going to do that.”