Uros Plavsic is three seasons removed from his Tennessee basketball tenure.
The career 3-point-per-game scorer wrapped up his final year during the 2022-23 season, but he’s still brought up in discussions because of the style he brought to the table. That style is what coaches are challenging redshirt sophomore big man J.P. Estrella (6-foot-11, 240 pounds) to at this point in conference play.
“Coach wanted him a little more rugged and a little more forceful in there,” assistant coach Gregg Polinsky said.
That ruggedness drew comparisons to the 7-foot-1, 265-pound Serbian big— who drew four career technical fouls. He also earned one career disqualification on a flagrant in his final collegiate game in the Sweet 16 against FAU.
“(Uros) gave us a level of toughness, and I wouldn’t use the word intimidation, but I think teams were conscious of him,” Polinsky said.
Estrella’s physicality has been the biggest point of concentration since he returned from injury. Spending the season sidelined a year ago allowed the game to slow down, but then compounded ankle and knee injuries this season have skewed his timelines.
Now that he’s at full health, the tasks have been handed his way. As the longest-tenured healthy player, his expectations and production should match.
“J.P.’s a different guy,” Polinsky said. “He’s a terrific scorer. Rebounds the ball really, really well. Uros, though, he was so good defensively, and had a physical presence, and I think we’re trying to blend the two for J.P., and that’s been a challenge for him.”
And when he becomes a non-factor on the scoring end, the challenge is heightened defensively. He’s played 19 minutes over the last two games, shooting 0-for-6 from the floor without a point scored.
Since missing the Syracuse game due to injury, he’s returned to average 6.5 points over 12.5 minutes per game.
“Coach (Rick) Barnes and GP have made it really evident to me to make sure to try to chime in my little Uros,” Estrella said. “Coach Barnes is telling me to be a little nasty a little bit.”
He contributed just nine minutes on the floor in a double-overtime game against Texas A&M, but the aggression was there. Estrella took five shots during his limited time, though he did not make any.
“I was trying to do it last game,” Estrella said. “They said I did a good job. I just now got to when I get into the paint, be aggressive on those moves. Just get back to me doing the job, just finishing the rock. And once I do that, I think we’ll be fine.”
Some of that aggression is also now expected out of true freshman DeWayne Brown II. The rookie was tabbed by Barnes as Tennessee’s most consistent player after the Florida game — and then posted five minutes in a start against A&M because that consistency disappeared.
He did not come out of the gate with the same intensity that had been expected, and therefore contributed 44 seconds across the final 40 minutes of game action.
“If you don’t feel uncomfortable, cardio-wise, when you’re out there, you’re not doing your job,” Polinsky said. “You gotta get to a certain level of cardio toughness.”
“He can move, but he can’t lumber around and he knows that, like he did early on,” Polinsky said. “He’s gotta be a factor because the guy’s physically skilled, but he’s not gonna wow you with vertical lift at the rim and all that. He’s gotta do it with great feet, great hands and great effort. I think that’s what Coach was talking about. You gotta come out of the gate. I mean, he’s not Secretariat. He’s not going to pass everybody down the stretch. He’s gotta come out and try to win that race wire-to-wire.”
Tennessee, Estrella and Brown, will get a rivalry meeting with Kentucky on Saturday to continue working on those strides. The Vols and Wildcats, who tangoed in the Sweet 16 a season ago, tip off at noon ET on Jan. 17.
