3 Tennessee Players To Watch vs. Houston

Leading the Volunteers this season in the points category is Nate Ament. The school is blessed to have an athlete like this, who can make baskets efficiently and has the endurance to run up and down the court. 

This season, Ament averages 18.8 points along with 26.6 minutes. He is one of the guys in the rotation that Barnes can rely on when he needs the offense to make some clutch shots. When a shot goes up, he is always ready to rebound with his 6-foot-10 frame, which can win many contested matchups inside. Hauling in 8.4 rebounds is pretty good and will force the Houston big men to block out. 

Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Guard

Another big body will give the Houston defense issues around the perimeter. The 6-foot-1 senior, Ja’kobi Gillespie, has several games posted through his collegiate career stops with two other programs, the Maryland Terrapins and Belmont Bruins. He does not flinch and get shy in big games because he is a veteran who has been there and done that. 

On the season, the Greenville, Tennessee, native is doing a splendid job at his position, averaging 16.6 points per game and averaging the most points out of any Volunteer on the roster. Unlike his buddy Ament, his strongest part of his game isn’t rebounding, but he can do it, averaging 2.6. From the field, he is 47.6 percent, which is pretty darn impressive. Another aspect of his game is his ball-handling and passing skills, as he averages six rebounds. 

J.P. Estrella, Forward

Heading into the Players' Era Festival, J.P. Estrella was making a name for himself after what he was doing to other opponents. Against UNF, he had a season-high 23 points and will want to build on that performance, but he didn’t get to in his last appearance against Rice, where he only played nine minutes and recorded four points. 

One of his stronger suits is shooting from behind the arc, where he is going 33.3 percent this season. As only a sophomore and listed at 6-foot-11, he will power through traffic, use the paint to his advantage, and take easy jumpers he doesn’t mind. 

From the field, he is masterful at 69.2 percent, and on the defensive end, he averages 6.8 rebounds, which will be a problem for the Cougars to limit. Watch for the Tennessee who proudly wears No. 13 on his jersey.