Cora Hall, Knoxville News SentinelMon, November 24, 2025 at 5:30 PM UTC·1 min readLAS VEGAS – J.P. Estrella is expected to be available for Tennessee basketball's matchup with Rutgers to open the Players Era Festival.
Estrella suffered a bone bruise on his left knee late in the first half of the Vols' win against Rice on Nov. 17 and then missed the Vols' game against Tennessee State on Nov. 20.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe sophomore forward is expected to be available, per UT spokesperson, although he may be on limited minutes. The No. 17 Vols (5-0) face Rutgers (4-1) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 24 (1 p.m. ET, TNT/HBO Max). Bishop Boswell and Cade Phillips are also expected to be available.
Estrella averaged 17.3 points and 8.7 rebounds in the first three games since returning from a foot injury and surgery, which sidelined him for all three games in the 2024-25 season. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Nov. 23 that he "would assume that he is out" for the Rutgers game.
Boswell may also be on limited minutes. Boswell has missed the last three games due to injuries. Barnes said Nov. 23 the sophomore guard "did a little bit in practice" on Nov. 22.
Boswell started the first two games of the season. He did not play against North Florida with a right foot injury, and then missed the next two games with a left hamstring injury. Boswell is averaging 5.5 points and 6.5 rebounds and shooting 60% on 3-pointers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementForward Cade Phillips did not practice Nov. 22 with the flu, but Barnes expected Phillips to be available for the tournament in Las Vegas.
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: J.P. Estrella injury update, Tennessee forward available vs Rutgers
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