There was little bad news in Tennessee basketball’s 103-68 route of Austin Peay on Sunday afternoon. But the bad news came before the game when the Vols ruled center JP Estrella out with a left foot injury.
Following the game, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said that it was the same foot injury that plagued Estrella for a large chunk of this offseason. Starting in the summer, Tennessee held Estrella out of team action in practice and slowly started working him back into the groove of things as the season got closer-and-closer.
But just four games into the season and the sophomore big man is already missing time with the injury.
“It is concerning,” Barnes said. “We know he wants to play. We know he has done everything he can do. I think the plan we had for him to start was the right plan. Again, they are day to day evaluating that to figure out now where do we go.”
A sophomore center, Estrella is backing up Felix Okpara and is averaging 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game so far this season. Estrella has been limited in his playing time earlier this season as he’s worked back from injury while also battling a separate ankle injury.
With Estrella out of the fold, sophomore power forward Cade Phillips will take over as the Vols’ backup center. The sophomore is just 6-foot-9 but is a tough player who’s shown real improvement early this season.
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Through four games, Phillips is averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 18 minutes per game. Before Sunday’s win, Phillips had mostly played the four-spot but also had spent some time at the five-spot.
“We need Cade,” Barnes said. “The fact is, he has the ability. He can do a lot of things. The more he can play out there, the better he is going to be. I thought Shack today, we moved him in there some to play a little bit to play with basically four guards, which gives us that versatility to do that. There are times they had five guards on the court. Cade, we have got a lot of belief in him.”
Phillips playing the five-spot does give Tennessee the ability to play very small and athletic. The concern is how he will hold up in the five-spot against bigger, more physical centers. Phillips did get good experience there this summer when he faced Okpara while Estrella missed practice time.
“Being able to play the five really prepares you,” Phillips said. “You guys see how physical Felix is. Being able to battle that every day (helps). … Playing the game from the five helps you see the game from a different perspective.”
The challenge gets harder for Tennessee this week when they head to the Bahamas to face Virginia then either Baylor or St. John’s in the Baha Mar Tournament.
