Tennessee basketball has two key players banged up as they head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival and their first tests of the 2025-26 season. Both shooting guard Bishop Boswell and center JP Estrella have missed time as of late with injuries.
Ahead of the tournament, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes met with the media and said that he does not expect Estrella to play this week while expressing some optimism that Boswell could get back on the court.
“I would assume that he is out,” Barnes said of Estrella. “When he is ready, they will tell me and we will put him back. I haven’t heard anything other than he is still out.”
Estrella being out for Players Era is no surprise after he suffered a bone bruise on his left knee late in the first half of Tennessee basketball’s win over Rice. The Vols avoided the worst with what appeared to be a scary knee injury, but Barnes noted last week that Estrella would likely miss a couple of weeks while recovering.
The 6-foot-11 big man has been a breakout star for Tennessee early this season, averaging 14 points, 6.5 rebounds and one assist per game. Estrella’s numbers were even more impressive before he totaled just four points and one rebound in nine minutes against Rice before he suffered the injury.
Tennessee has exceptional front court depth this season which minimizes the significance of a short term injury for Estrella. Both Jaylen Carey and DeWayne Brown saw extended roles against Tennessee State last Thursday with Carey totaling six points, four rebounds and four assists in 13 minutes while Brown totaled 13 points and three rebounds in 16 minutes.
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Boswell has missed three straight games for Tennessee early in his sophomore season. Boswell first suffered a minor foot injury in Tennessee’s win over Northern Kentucky which caused him to miss the North Florida game. He returned to practice after the North Florida game before suffering the hamstring injury that caused him to miss the last two games. But Barnes indicated that Boswell could return this week.
“He did a little bit in practice yesterday,” Barnes said. “Yeah, I think we will see how he felt after practice yesterday. Based on practice yesterday, I think he will be able to play some.”
The nature of hamstring injuries is causing Tennessee to play things safe with the shooting guard’s status. During Tennessee’s Wednesday practice, Boswell did not team activities but did some individual shooting off to the side.
A defensive stopper, Boswell is averaging 5.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and one assist while starting in each of Tennessee’s first two games this season.
Ethan Burg started the first game that Boswell was sidelined before Louisiana Tech transfer Amaree Abram started each of the last two games. Abram came out in fire in Tennessee’s 89-60 win over Tennessee State Thursday night, hitting three triples in the game’s first three minutes.
After a drama free 5-0 start to the season, Tennessee faces its first challenges of the season this week at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. The Vols face Rutgers on Monday, No. 2 Houston on Tuesday and then a third game on either Wednesday or Thursday against an undetermined opponent.
