LAS VEGAS — Tennessee basketball could get a pair of injured players back in the fold for its Players Era Festival opening game against Rutgers on Monday afternoon. Both JP Estrella and Bishop Boswell are “expected to be available” for Tennessee against the Scarlett Knights according to a UT spokesperson.
Both Estrella and Boswell could be on a minutes restriction if they are able to get against Rutgers on Monday. Meeting with the media Sunday, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said he did not expect Estrella would be available but thought it was possible Boswell could return.
Estrella 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 which makes his potential return in Vegas a major positive.
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.
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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.
The sophomore shooting guard started the first two games of the season for Tennessee. 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.
Tipoff between Tennessee and Rutgers is at 1 p.m. ET on Monday afternoon. Brandon Gaudin, LVFL Candace Parker and Nabil Karum are on the call for TNT.
