Tennessee
How J.P. Estrella ‘changes everything’ for Tennessee basketball’s offense
J.P. Estrella backpedalled down the court.
The Tennessee basketball forward had already nodded his head and flexed after dunking for second-chance points. He threw in a clap for good measure, the smallest of his celebrations after a flurry of eyebrow-raising scoring plays against Northern Kentucky.
“It changes everything and he can do more,” Vols coach Rick Barnes said. “I promise you he can do more of that.”
Estrella gave the latest glimmer of his vast offensive talent for No. 17 Tennessee (2-0) in its 95-56 win against Northern Kentucky (1-0) on Nov. 8 at Food City Center. He scored 17 points and had 11 rebounds, leading to Barnes’ glowing review after he poured in points in 20 minutes.
The 6-foot-11 Estrella had a 12-point, five-rebound debut against Mercer on Nov. 3, which was a good start in his first game back following foot surgery in November 2024.
His game against Northern Kentucky was a declaration of the offensive talent the Vols have always known he possessed.
“It really helps because nobody can really stop him down there in the paint,” Vols guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie said. “If he is using his size and playing how he has been playing, we should be really good.”
Estrella is Tennessee’s best post-up threat and around-the-rim scorer, which is what he was expected to be.
Felix Okpara and Cade Phillips both can score, but not like Estrella. He’s a player the Vols can play through and toss the ball into with his back to the basket whenever they desire. He also can step out and shoot 3-pointers.
It’s that skill that made him a four-star recruit and a player the Vols — as well as the likes of Duke and Kansas — coveted. He flashed it as a freshman in 2023-24, but missed all but three games in the 2024-25 season due to a foot injury.
The sophomore from Maine is finally healthy and is a perfect fit for a team that will lean heavily on Gillespie and Nate Ament to be the leading scorers. He looks like the top candidate to be the third-leading scorer.
But there is no question he changes the offense as defenses have to watch him closely.
“They’ve got to respect him,” Ament said. “They have to help on his post-ups. The better he is playing offensively, the better we will be playing as a team.”
Estrella proved that against Northern Kentucky with every touch.
He scored through contact. He made multiple short lefty hook shots. He got second-chance points. He tipped in his own miss. He facilitated his teammates scoring. He placed himself well to get the ball and score.
After it all, Barnes still thinks Estrella has no clue how good he can be yet. But he thinks he will find out — and Tennessee will be at its best if he does.
“There is so much more there,” Barnes said. “I think he will get there.”
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
The Tennessee Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 24, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Cash 3 numbers from May 24 drawing
Evening: 4-2-7, Wild: 2
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from May 24 drawing
Evening: 2-0-4-1, Wild: 3
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Daily Tennessee Jackpot numbers from May 24 drawing
14-25-26-32-38
Check Daily Tennessee Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 24 drawing
01-30-31-46-55, Bonus: 02
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Tennessee Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Tennessee Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket, a copy of a government-issued ID and proof of social security number to P.O. Box 290636, Nashville, TN 37229. Prize claims less than $600 do not require a claim form. Please include contact information on prizes claimed by mail in the event we need to contact you.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID and proof of social security number to any of these locations:
Nashville Headquarters & Claim Center: 26 Century Blvd., Nashville, TN 37214, 615-254-4946 in the (615) and (629) area, 901-466-4946 in the (901) area, 865-512-4946 in the (865) area, 423-939-7529 in the (423) area or 1-877-786-7529 (all other areas in Tennessee). Outside Tennessee, dial 615-254-4946. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Knoxville District Office: Cedar Springs Shopping Center, 9298 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922, (865) 251-1900. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Chattanooga District Office: 2020 Gunbarrel Rd., Suite 106, Chattanooga, TN 37421, (423) 308-3610. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Memphis District Office: Chiles Plaza, 7424 U.S. Highway 64, Suite 104, Memphis, TN 38133, (901) 322-8520. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $199,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://tnlottery.com/.
When are the Tennessee Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3, 4: Daily at 9:28 a.m. (Morning) and 12:28 p.m. CT (Midday), except for Sunday. Evening game daily, seven days a week, at 6:28 p.m. CT.
- Daily Tennessee Jackpot: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Tennessee Cash: 10:34 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
- Powerball Double Play: 10:30 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Tennessean editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Tennessee
Where Tennessee Baseball Is Projected In NCAA Tournament A Day Before Selection Show | Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee baseball is a day away from learning its draw for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Vols are squarely in the field of 64 but will not host this season meaning the tournament committee will send Tennessee on the road.
There’s still a few remaining conference championship games on Sunday afternoon, but both D1Baseball and Baseball America have released their penultimate bracket projections for the NCAA Tournament. Where do the Vols project to land?
D1Baseball projects Tennessee as a two-seed (No. 24 overall seed) in the Hattiesburg Regional where they are matched up with No. 9 overall seed Southern Miss, NC State and Illinois-Chicago. The Vols have plenty of postseason history against Southern Miss. They defeated the Golden Eagles in the 2023 Hattiesburg Super Regional and in the 2024 Knoxville Regional.
If the Vols pull the upset in the Hattiesburg Regional they would match up against the winner of the Gainesville Regional including Florida, Arizona State, USC Upstate and VCU.
Twelve SEC teams are in the D1Baseball projection including Arkansas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
Baseball America projects Tennessee as a two-seed (No. 29 overall seed) in the Chapel Hill Regional where they are matched with No. 4 overall seed North Carolina. Other teams in the Chapel Hill Regional include Mercer and Binghamton. Tennessee also has postseason history with North Carolina, losing in the 2019 Chapel Hill Regional.
More From RTI: Tennessee Baseball Gaining Trust In Will Haas Entering NCAA Tournament
If the Vols pull the upset in the Chapel Hill Regional they would matchup up against the winner of the Lincoln Regional including Nebraska, Ole Miss, Eastern Illinois and Illinois-Chicago.
Twelve SEC teams are in the Baseball America projection including Arkansas, Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn, Mississippi State, Texas, Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M and Oklahoma.
In past years, the NCAA seeded only the top 16 teams of the tournament. But this year, they are seeding the top 32 teams. While the selection committee does not have to create direct matches (No. 1 overall seed with No. 32 overall seed) they have to create relative matches.
That means that teams seeded No. 1 through No. 4 have to be paired with someone seeded No. 29 through No. 32. Teams seeded No. 5 through No. 8 have to be paired with someone seeded No. 25 through No. 28. Teams seeded No. 9 through No. 12 have to be paired with someone seeded No. 21 through No. 24. And lastly, teams seeded No. 13 through No. 16 have to be paired with teams seeded No. 17 through No. 20.
Tennessee baseball enters the NCAA Tournament boasting a 38-20 (15-15 SEC) record. The Vols struggled out the gats of SEC play, starting 4-8 in their first four series. But starting with a sweep of Mississippi State, the Vols went 11-7 over the next six weeks.
Josh Elander’s first Tennessee team won five of its 10 SEC series. They swept Mississippi State while Vanderbilt swept them. The Vols remained .500 in SEC play by going 1-1 at this week’s SEC Tournament.
Karen Weekly isn’t afraid to take a gamble with Tennessee softball lineups in the postseason.
Last year, Weekly put three new hitters at the top of the lineup for Game 2 of the NCAA super regionals against Nebraska, which was an elimination game. The shakeup was exactly what the batting lineup needed, and Tennessee won two straight games to go to the Women’s College World Series.
But this year, Weekly made a much more significant change. She shifted the entire infield except shortstop Bella Faw going into NCAA regionals.
Weekly pulled third baseman Maddi Rutan from the lineup to get Makenzie Butt’s bat in the order and played Butt at first base, which is her natural position. That shifted Emma Clarke from first to second and Ella Dodge from second to third.
The risk paid off. The Lady Vols’ defense was as clean as it has been all season, and Butt was impactful in the lineup, especially in the 7-5 win over Virginia. Tennessee swept regionals and super regionals to advance to its third Women’s College World Series in the last four seasons.
The No. 7 seed Lady Vols (47-10) will open the WCWS against the winner of No. 2 seed Texas and Arizona State on May 28, with game time and TV designation to be announced later.
Weekly said a phrase her husband, Ralph, used to say bounced around in her mind: “There’s three kinds of people in the world – those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what the hell happened.”
She intended to be someone who makes things happen.
“I think you have to just go with it, and I just trust my gut on things. It’s not a 100%, but the percentage is pretty high,” Weekly said on May 19 going into super regionals. “I’ll tell you when things don’t go well, is when I don’t trust my gut. And I just had a gut feeling that this was what we need to do.”
Why Ella Dodge has thrived at third
Dodge’s position change is perhaps the most impressive of all. She started at second base last season as a redshirt freshman and started there every game this season. The shift from second to third base is drastic in terms of skillset and distance from the plate.
But Dodge has thrived. She attacked hits down the third baseline and showed incredible arm strength during regionals and super regionals. Weekly said she always moves Dodge around in practice because she’s a true utility player who could fill in for an injury at any position.
“Ella does really well when the ball is on her a bit quicker,” Weekly said. “I thought Ella’s technique was actually stronger than I’ve seen it all year at third base, just picking short hops off the ground and making plays in the timing that you want based on how the ball is hit to her.”
During Game 1 against Georgia, Dodge ran down the third baseline towards a chopper from UGA leadoff hitter Keirstin Roose.
Dodge scooped the ball in stride and made the throw to first while still running. She barely beat Roose, who she also had to throw around, because Dodge was nearly to home plate when she made the throw.
“Boy, that little chopper on the line that she came through and scooped up and threw on the run, that was an absolute gem,” Weekly said. “Most people don’t make that play.”
How Emma Clarke’s versatility paid off
Weekly has long praised Clarke’s ability to play any position – she has even taken reps at catcher in practice.
Clarke plays a lot of middle infield during the fall, Weekly said, because Faw has been hurt a lot during the offseason. Clarke hadn’t even played much first base until the season rolled around this year.
“Both Emma and Ella have expressed that they feel really, really comfortable, maybe even more comfortable at the positions they’re at right now,” Weekly said. “Emma likes that she kind of just roam and go get balls and not have to worry about the first-base coverage.”
None of it would have worked without the buy-in from the players and the extra reps they committed to in practice. Weekly said she couldn’t even count how many extra ground balls the infielders have taken since getting back from the SEC Tournament.
The buy-in and extra work quickly turned into a level of confidence that has fueled Tennessee’s defense.
“They play with so much energy. That’s the cool thing watching that infield out there,” Weekly said. “There’s so much eye contact, there’s so much great body language, there’s so much leaning on each other that I think they feel like they can make every play, and that’s what you want them to feel like.”
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
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