South Portland, Maine’s J.P. Estrella Set to Shine in NCAA Tournament with the Tennessee Vols

March Madness is finally upon us, and once again, it has a Maine feel.

That’s thanks to J.P. Estrella, the Scarborough/South Portland native, who is about to lace ’em up.

Maine Native J.P. Estrella is Having a Great Season With the Tennessee Volunteers

Estrella is a redshirt sophomore for the Tennessee Volunteers and is having an exceptional season. The 6'11" forward is averaging 10.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. His play has been so strong lately that Estrella has worked his way into the starting lineup—not bad for a kid from Maine.

Estrella and the Vols are a 6-seed in the Midwest bracket and face a tough challenge in their Round of 64 game against Miami (Ohio). The RedHawks are 32-1, which includes an 89-79 win over Southern Methodist in the First Four earlier this week.

This will be an extremely difficult test for Tennessee, but it’s a game the SEC squad is expected to win.

However, the bigger story is that we get to follow another young Mainer play out his basketball dreams on the main stage. While Cooper Flagg got most of the attention last year, Estrella has stepped into that spotlight.

It’s been a solid season for Tennessee, as they finished the regular season with a 22-11 record, including four wins over ranked teams. Estrella and the Vols are now in an interesting position as the 6-seed in their region, with a realistic chance to make a run. A win over Miami (Ohio) would set them up against the winner of Virginia and Wright State for a trip to the Sweet 16.

When Does Tennessee Play in the NCAA Tournament Today?

Mainers can watch J.P. and Tennessee take the floor today at 4:25 p.m. on TBS. It’s the second game of the day at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, with the first game featuring the Virginia–Wright State matchup.

READ MORE: The Women of Maine Are Coming: Hearts of Pine Launch Town Halls for New Women’s Team

Best of luck to J.P. and the Vols. And considering my West Virginia Mountaineers didn’t make the tournament this year, I’ll personally adopt Tennessee as my team. Though I don’t have the best of luck, so hopefully I don’t jinx them.