JP Estrella鈥檚 growth leads to Tennessee basketball future
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine (BVM) — JP Estrella has emerged as one of the best centers in the country, and according to , the very best player in the state of Maine.聽
The senior stands at 6-foot-11, 210 pounds, and possesses a unique passing and shot-making ability for someone of his size. Part of this is because his size is still fairly new to him.
Highlights on recent Tennessee commit JP Estrella!
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms)
As a high school freshman, he stood at 6-foot-2. Over the course of his time in high school, Estrella has grown a whopping nine inches.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 just go to a store and get shoes or pants. I鈥檝e got to get everything custom made,鈥� Estrella joked. 鈥淧lanes and car rides suck.鈥�
On the court, it has been a natural transition for Estrella, allowing him to be a center that can bring versatility to any lineup.
鈥淚 really didn鈥檛 have any growing pains at all,鈥� Estrella said. 鈥淚 could always shoot the ball really well and could handle the ball a little bit, so those traits have passed up to me now.鈥�
Estrella was able to hone in on these fundamentals growing up thanks to the help of his mom, Allie. She won Miss. Maine Basketball in high school before playing at Boston College. Years later, JP even got to see his mom play with her Eagles teammates at a team reunion.
鈥淚t was nice to see that,鈥� JP said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I was really like, 鈥榃ow, this is pretty sick.鈥欌��
For Estrella, he was not necessarily sure if he would get to experience college basketball like his mom did. That was until this past summer when he received over 20 offers in the span of a couple of months.
鈥淭hat summer was magic,鈥� Estrella said. 鈥淚t was mind-boggling to me that it happened so quick and so fast. It just blew my mind really.鈥�
At the end of the day, he chose the University of Tennessee, which was the third school that offered him. After his official visit, he sensed the community atmosphere in Knoxville and knew it would be a great fit for him.
Our Maine man.
饾棦饾棛饾棛饾棞饾棖饾棞饾棓饾棢: Welcome to Rocky Top
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops)
鈥淭hey talked with me every single day,鈥� Estrella said. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 just talk to me, they talked to my family, my trainors, and my coaches every single day. They鈥檝e been absolutely amazing to me and my family which is one of the main reasons why I chose that school.鈥�
His commitment to the Volunteers, along with a state title run, are a couple of his favorite achievements thus far in his career. For a young man who was not sure if he鈥檇 be able to play college basketball a year ago, it was a little surreal when he finally signed.
鈥淕oing Division I has always been a dream of mine since I was a kid,鈥� Estrella said. 鈥淭hat Tennessee commitment day made my year really.鈥�
Estrella has goals of making an impact at Tennessee and getting to the NBA, but the most important thing for him is to give back to those who have given so much to him.
鈥淛ust taking care of my family,鈥� Estrella said on what his biggest goal is. 鈥淢y mom, my dad, my brother. Those are the most important people in my life.”
