A pair of Tennessee basketball big men are off the SEC Availability Report and are good to go for the Vols’ matchup against Texas. Tennessee originally listed both Felix Okpara and JP Estrella as “probable” on the Monday night availability report before removing them on the game day report.
The Vols officially listed Okpara with a “bruise” while head coach Rick Barnes called it “a bit of a hip pointer” after the loss at Arkansas game. Tennessee also listed Okpara as probable on the injury report before the SEC opener in Fayetteville.
Estrella has dealt with multiple injuries this season while missing two games. The good news is that this is not as serious as he’s just under the weather. However, Estrella did get sick in a trash can during practice. Both Okpara and Estrella were partial participants in Tennessee’s Tuesday practice.
Okpara is Tennessee’s starting center and is averaging 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game this season. Estrella is averaging 10.4 points and 4.9 rebounds in 13.6 minutes per game.
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Estrella’s minutes have been lower in part due to injury but also because of shortcomings on the defensive end of the court. The media asked Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes Monday what Estrella needs to do to earn more playing time.
“Consistency and being locked into the things that players have to do (and) the things they don’t want to do,” Barnes said. “They have to do the things like run the court every time. They’ve got to go to the glass. If we call a coverage, they got to be in the coverage. Just the things that that you all probably never see, that nobody sees. Those are the things you have to do all the time, and not think that somebody else is going do that for you.
“And that’s not just JP. It’s pretty much what happened Saturday. We had too many guys that just didn’t do their jobs in the way they need to do it.”
Tennessee and Texas each dropped SEC openers on the road last Saturday with the Vols falling at Arkansas and Texas losing in overtime at Mississippi State. The Vols are looking for their fifth straight win over Texas.
Tennessee is 10.5-point favorites against the Longhorns according to the DKSportsbook. The over/under is set at 152.5. Tipoff between Tennessee and Texas is at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday night. Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes are on the call for ESPN2.
