Four-star center JP Estrella signs with Tennessee basketball
Tennessee basketball’s highest-rated prospect in its 2023 recruiting class has officially signed with the Vols. Four-star center JP Estrella officially joined the basketball program Wednesday, on the first day of college basketball’s early signing period.
The 6-foot-11, 210-pound center out of South Portland, Maine, is ranked No. 21 overall in the 2023 class in the On3 ratings. He’s ranked No. 6 among power forwards and No. 1 in player out of Maine.
Estrella committed to Tennessee in September, picking the Vols over Syracuse and Iowa.
“I chose Tennessee because I have a great relationship with their whole staff,” Estrella told On3 at the time. “Coach (Rick) Barnes and the whole staff have a vision for me and I can see myself being in that vision. I also think I fit in that program really well especially with it being a fast-paced league and I’m a very fast big man.”
JP Estrella gives Vols a 6-11 center with some ‘guard skills and movements’
Estrella climbed earlier this week to No. 21 overall in the updated On3 rankings.
“This Summer, JP Estrella went from unranked to top-25,” On3’s Jamie Shaw wrote on Tuesday. “He is a 6-foot-11 center who moves really well, both laterally and vertically, for a player his size. Estrella is another late-bloomer who grew from a guard’s size early in high school to what he is now, and he kept some of his guard skills and movements.
“Estrella is a tough, two-handed rebounder. He can stretch the floor with catch and shoot threes, and he is a natural rim protector with both hands.”
Estrella is one of four prospects in Tennessee’s 2023 recruiting class, alongside four-star shooting guard Freddie Dilione, four-star small forward Cameron Carr and three-star power forward Cade Phillips.
Dilione, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound guard from Fayetteville, N.C., is ranked No. 56 nationally in the 2023 class. He’s No. 10 among shooting guards and No. 1 in the state of North Carolina.
Phillips, a 6-foot-9, 200-pound prospect from Rainbow City, Ala., is roommates with Carr at Link Academy in Missouri. Phillips is ranked No. 147 in the 2023 class in the On3 consensus. He’s ranked No. 30 among power forwards and No. 1 in the state of Alabama.
On3 Scouting Summary — JP Estrella
“JP Estrella has good size and he moves well. Competitive on the block, he understands angles and has good footwork. The skilled forward can step out and knock down shots off the catch. He is a good area rebounder and he works hard on the defensive end. He will need to continue adding weight, and he is going to need to work on the lateral quickness. There is a lot to like here as a stretch big with toughness and some pop.”
