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JP Estrella elects to stay with Wolverines following Dusty May departure
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Incoming Michigan transfer JP Estrella revealed on Thursday that he will be staying at Michigan following former Wolverines head coach Dusty May’s departure for the NBA. The news, first reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday morning, means Michigan will retain one of their top transfer pledges this offseason.
That’s a massive update for the Wolverines, who already received commitments to stay from guards Trey McKenney and Eliot Cadeau, as well as center Mustapha Thiam.
According to Thamel, Estrella — a 6-foot-11 junior — formed a quick relationship with new interim coach Mike Boynton after arriving on campus a few weeks ago. On top of that, he’s being well-paid on the NIL front after helping Tennessee crack a third straight Elite 8 last season before his transfer to Ann Arbor.
Interestingly, Estrella’s final game as a Vol came against the Wolverines, who downed the Vols to advance to the Final Four.
While at Tennessee, Estrella averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, shooting just under 60% from the field. Estrella is a strong offensive player and an elite offensive rebounder and should pair well with Thiam’s rim protection as an offense-creating big at the 4.
The question for Michigan is whether Estrella can pull his weight on the defensive end. Estrella averaged just 18 minutes per game last season as he struggled to defend without fouling. Keep in mind that Estrella missed most of his sophomore season dealing with a foot injury, so another year under his belt will certainly help on that end of the floor.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.