Tennessee Faces Uncertain Fate as J.P. Estrella’s Ankle Injury Threatens Key Syracuse Showdown

Right before tip-off against Syracuse, Tennessee basketball fans received some tough news: sophomore forward J.P. Estrella won’t be suiting up due to a right ankle injury. The towering 6-foot-11 shot-blocker, who’s been averaging a solid 12 points and 5 rebounds in under 15 minutes per game, picked up the injury during that gritty Players Era Festival game against Kansas—where the Vols came up just short, 81-76. You could tell it was a painful moment when Estrella rolled his ankle trying to swat away a shot from Melvin Council Jr., landing awkwardly and limping off the court, only to briefly return before exiting again. It’s been a bumpy road for Estrella this season—he’s fought through a slew of setbacks, including a bone bruise that sidelined him a few games and that “pretty tough ankle sprain” Coach Rick Barnes mentioned back at preseason. Not to mention the foot injury that wiped out most of his 2024-25 campaign, culminating in surgery last November. It’s a shattering blow to a team ranked No. 13 nationally (7-1), gearing up for this high-stakes SEC/ACC Challenge matchup in Syracuse. I gotta say, watching a promising player’s season be gobbled up by relentless injuries is tough—and you can bet the Vols will miss his presence on the boards and defensive end. For those eager to dig deeper into Estrella’s status and what this means for Tennessee’s lineup, here’s the full scoop. LEARN MORE

J.P. Estrella is out for Tennessee basketball at Syracuse with a right ankle injury, UT announced prior to the Dec. 2 game.

The sophomore forward sustained the injury in Tennessee’s 81-76 loss to Kansas on Nov. 26 in the Players Era Festival.

Estrella is averaging 12.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game. The No. 13 Vols (7-1) play at Syracuse (4-3) on Dec. 2 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, in the SEC/ACC Challenge.

The 6-foot-11 forward rolled his right ankle trying to block a shot from Melvin Council Jr. with 16:08 to play. His foot landed on Council’s foot and he hobbled off the court. He reentered with 8:29 remaining.

Estrella has battled multiple injuries this season.

He suffered a bone bruise in his left knee against Rice on Nov. 17, which kept him out against Tennessee State on Nov. 20.

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Estrella was injured after battling for a rebound with a pair of Rice players in the final 90 seconds of the first half. He won it, then lost it, falling backward. Rice forward Stephen Giwa fell on Estrella’s lower leg, sending Estrella tumbling to the court and grabbing his left knee. He rolled by the free-throw line in pain as Tennessee staffers checked on him before he was helped off the court, putting some weight on his left leg.

The Maine native also dealt with an ankle injury late in the offseason and at the start of the preseason. Vols coach Rick Barnes described it as a “pretty tough ankle sprain” as UT began preseason practices on Sept. 23.

Estrella missed all but three games in the 2024-25 season due to a foot injury that led to season-ending foot surgery in November 2024.

Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: J.P. Estrella injury update, Tennessee forward out at Syracuse