NCAA Basketball: Analyzing the contenders for 4-star big JP Estrella
Four-star NCAA Basketball prospect JP Estrella is set to make a decision soon. Which of the reported contenders makes the most sense for him?
One of the top centers in the 2023 NCAA Basketball recruiting class is JP Estrella, who has been a big riser over the past year. He’s a 6’11 big man that’s had a big growth spurt since the start of high school but still has the shooting and playmaking skills of a guard. Estrella can shoot the ball well and has good defensive instincts.
The recruitment for Estrella has been pretty straightforward. A decision is coming this week and while there isn’t a list, there are four programs he’s reportedly focused on after taking visits. The four are Iowa, Syracuse, Tennessee, and Marquette, all teams that could use a big in the 2023 class.
Here’s a closer look at how Estrella fits with each of the four contenders.
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes won’t have Filip Rebrača around after next year and Kris Murray is a pro candidate, so the frontcourt will need a couple more newcomers. The team does have three-star commit Owen Freeman but on paper, Estrella is the better option. His game is similar to former National Player of the Year Luka Garza so Iowa can make that appeal. They’re an offensively friendly program as well.
Marquette Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles recently landed top-100 power forward Al Amadou and Estrella would be a perfect match in the recruiting class. This is a team with a young frontcourt, including Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Oso Ighodaro on the roster so the immediate minutes may not be there for the prospect. However, these guys haven’t shown much offensively and if that doesn’t change this season, opens things up for Estrella to have an impact.
Syracuse Orange
The Orange do have a solid starter at center in Jesse Edwards but there’s no telling how much longer the junior big man will be around. And Duquesne transfer Mounir Hima is more of a backup than a starter at the ACC level. Estrella would be a nice fit at Syracuse since he’s mobile enough to move in the 2-3 zone but there is a question as to how long head coach Jim Boeheim will be around after next season, especially if the team struggles and misses the NCAA Tournament again.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee already has a pair of power forward commits in the 2023 class in Cade Phillips and Tobe Awaka but could use a true center. Uroš Plavšić looks like a career NCAA Basketball backup at the power conference level, while former top-50 prospect Jonas Aidoo didn’t play much as a freshman and wouldn’t be the reason a player doesn’t pick them.
Next. Most important player for each top-25 team. dark
The Vols have sent multiple players to the NBA in recent years and are a reported favorite in the recruitment for JP Estrella. But bigger surprises have occurred and maybe another upset will happen in a few days when a decision is made.