Prospect Evaluation | JP Estrella (2023)

Published: July 23, 2022

Updated: September 6, 2022

JP Estrella

Class of 2023

6'11 210 lbs C

South Portland, ME (Brewster Academy)

*Committed to Tennessee*

In early September, Estrella announced his commitment to Rick Barnes' Tennessee Volunteers.

In late July, the near seven foot center JP Estrella was slated to visit Duke but canceled just days before, signaling that Duke may not be prioritizing Estrella any longer in the wake of offers to TJ Power and Andrej Stojakovic. The Blue Devils have a commitment at every position besides center. Estrella's current rank does not reflect his true ability, and many anticipate a major jump for Estrella (perhaps as high as 20-30). Per Andrew Slater, he is eyeing a decision before school starts back up.

Jon Scheyer extended an offer to 2023 rising star TJ Power this month, which may complicate things with Estrella who to this point has been considered a strong Duke lean. There is still much uncertainty revolving around the center position and frontcourt in general for the 2023-2024 season. It is safe to assume that former top ranked recruit Dereck Lively II will enter next year's NBA Draft, however, Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell are not quite as cut and dry. I would wager a bet that at least one of those two will return for a sophomore season in Durham. That coupled with top ten 2023 commit Sean Stewart and a possible fifth year for Northwestern transfer Ryan Young could lead to a crowded front line. Nonetheless, it is never safe to assume anyone is coming back in todays era. That being said, Estrella is a highly desirable prospect in the class of 2023.

I have scoured over YouTube clips of Estrella's game and found the best ones to highlight his game so you do not have to and will provide my own personal thoughts on each

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRrSqwl9OKo

Breakdown: In this video, Estrella is matched up with Ugonna Kingsley, a five star center in the class of 2023. In this matchup, Estrella demonstrates great activity on the offensive glass. He shows glimpses of his prowess as a perimeter shooter. The only negative is his tendency to foul on close outs. Defensively, he could use some work staying straight up on some plays, otherwise he could be a foul risk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9r7SMsbae4

Breakdown: It may just be a basic highlight reel, but it shows good in game footage that is not just flashy camera work like other highlight reels.

Here, Estrella's good timing as a shot blocker is evident. His perimeter shot is quite good, which should make for a good modern inside-outside big. Another key takeaway from these clips is that he keeps the ball high when he catches it and goes up immediately or makes a decision without bringing the ball low too often. That is good to see. Decisive bigs who keep the ball up high will be more confident and less likely to turn it over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2Lpu6MAMos

Breakdown: This is a matchup with a high quality opponent: Cooper Flagg. Here many of the same perks are evident. I thought it was important to include another high quality matchup to see how he plays against competition, but also one of his weaknesses remains true here. Estrella has the tendency to bring his arms outward and not straight up on some contests. Eagerness like this may earn him some unnecessary fouls early in his college career (and foul trouble can unfortunately keep you off the court).

Last updated: September 6, 2022 2:24 p.m. ET

Sources: https://www.si.com/college/duke/recruiting/duke-basketball-locks-official-visit , https://247sports.com/player/jp-estrella-46129063/ , https://www.on3.com/db/jp-estrella--150992/ , https://n.rivals.com/content/prospects/2023/j-p-estrella-286418 ,