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Tennessee strength coach Garrett Medenwald updates J.P. Estrella's return from injury

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey07/18/25GrantRamey
JP Estrella, Tennessee Basketball | Knoxville News Sentinel Imagn Images
JP Estrella, Tennessee Basketball | Knoxville News Sentinel Imagn Images

A year ago, Tennessee Basketball coach Rick Barnes was being as cautious as he could with center J.P. Estrella and the lingering foot issue that was giving him trouble. He missed much of the summer with his teammates, sidelined as a spectator. 

But the real fix wouldn’t come until late November, when Estrella was forced to undergo season-ending foot surgery to address the issue. 

“We’ll do all we can to aid J.P. throughout his rehabilitation,” Barnes said at the time, “and we are excited for what his future holds here at Tennessee.”

The future keeps inching closer and closer during the late stages of the rehab process for Estrella, the 6-foot-11, 250-pound redshirt sophomore.

“Anytime you’re coming back from something like that,” Tennessee strength coach Garrett Medenwald said, “it’s huge.”

J.P. Estrella played in just three games last season

Estrella played in just three games before being shut down last season, averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game. 

He was a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, ranked No. 59 nationally and No. 8 at center, picking Tennessee over Syracuse, Iowa and Duke, among others.

Estrella averaged 5.0 minutes off the bench while playing in 25 games as a freshman during the 2022-23 season, averaging 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds per game while shooting 71.4% from the floor. 

Medenwald described Estrella’s nearly year-long rehab process as “challenging.”

“Everybody thinks it’s just going to be this linear process, but it’s not,” Medenwald said. “There’s ups and downs throughout the course of the path and you need undulations and stress. So you need more stress and lower stress to keep building. So his has been a continual adaption of stress for the build.”

‘I’ve been really proud of his mentality and how he’s grown from the situation’

Estrella went from putting no weight on the foot after surgery to a walking boot late last season. During a workout Monday at Food City Center, Estrella was on the floor with his teammates going through five-on-five scrimmage work. 

The progress has been made both on and off the floor since his season ended last November. 

“His mentality has been incredible,” Medenwald said. “Every day he’s coming in doing something. And so I’m really proud of his mentality because it’s not easy. I don’t care who you are, when you go through something adverse or tough, you learn a little bit more about yourself. 

“I’ve been really proud of his mentality and how he’s grown from the situation and continuing to improve.” 

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