As a Tennessee freshman forward competing in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA tournament, J.P. Estrella logged more minutes against Purdue’s 7-foot-4, 300-pound center Zach Edey than fellow Volunteers post players Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka.
It was a different story last March, as Estrella watched Tennessee’s Elite Eight loss to Houston, having missed all but three games last season due to a foot injury that required surgery.
“I’m super excited about this,” Estrella said Wednesday in a press conference as the Vols continued to prepare for their eighth consecutive NCAA tourney. “Obviously I didn’t get to play last year, so I’m definitely coming into this super excited and pumped up and ready to go.”
The Vols (22-11), who are seeded sixth in the Midwest Regional, worked out Wednesday still not knowing who their first opponent would be Friday afternoon (4:25 on TBS) in Philadelphia. That was determined in Wednesday night’s First Four matchup in Dayton, Ohio, when Miami University beat fellow No. 11 seed SMU, 89-79, to improve to 32-1 and advance to the round of 64.
Tennessee advanced out of the First Four in 2014 as an 11 seed under Cuonzo Martin, downing fellow 11 seed Iowa in overtime before eliminating sixth-seeded UMass and 14th-seeded Mercer — which had posted a memorable upset of third-seeded Duke — to reach the Sweet 16. This is the first time the Vols have had to face the winner of a First Four game.