Defend the Block 392 - J.P. Estrella Transcript
7/14/2026 9:21:00 AM | MGoBlue Podcasts
Brian Boesch • 00:00
A quick intro before the intro before J.P. Estrella here on Defend the Block. I am currently on vacation this week, so the Mike Boynton Junior news taking over the full-time head coaching position that came out on Friday. I'm recording this Saturday morning with just some introductory thoughts and if you want to go back a few weeks when Dusty May left, I shared a bit more about Boynton, about his impact on last year's team, about his impact in particular on Yaxel Lendeborg, and more of that will come out in a future project. I'm excited to share with you down the road, but this was always the most logical approach for the short and now medium term. The two things I wanted to say about the situation before what I think will be the next couple of questions for Boynton and for the program. Number one, I think anyone who just looks at the Oklahoma State record with Boynton at at the helm is doing themselves a disservice in terms of where that should rank.
Brian Boesch • 01:00
Yes, if he had that type of a record at a Michigan or at most other schools in the Big twelve or Big Ten, yes, that would probably be disqualifying. But this is an Oklahoma State program that got an NCAA tournament ban in twenty twenty-two for something that happened five years prior before Boynton had taken over the head coaching position. This was a program in Oklahoma State that in the final three years of Boynton at the helm. So this was in the aftermath of what they did with Cade Cunningham and making the NCAA tournament. They had home-and-homes with Oral Roberts, Oakland and Southern Illinois. No disrespect to those programs obviously here locally what Oakland has done is fantastic. But a program like Michigan or many others in the Big Ten would never ever, ever sign home and homes with Oral Roberts, Oakland or Southern Illinois. That's just where that program was in terms of NCAA sanctions.
Brian Boesch • 01:53
Really last instances of that from the NCAA. And again, it happened five years prior. Boynton was not the head coach at that point, but also the resources provided were really challenging. And Boynton's last season there, one of the two years that objectively just nothing went right. Bad records, bad performances, all of it. That was the first year that the Big twelve inflated to a point where you're not just facing off against the typical Kansas of the world. That was Houston as a one seed, BYU as a six seed. I mean that was a jam-packed loaded Big twelve. It was the first year they had inflated to a point where they were in a super league from a number standpoint. So I do think from the Oklahoma State standpoint, this Boynton tenure as a head coach, I, I'm not saying you look at it as a huge positive, but anyone who's saying it's a negative, I don't think is looking at it properly.
Brian Boesch • 02:53
Secondly, Boynton's impact the last two years, staggering, incredibly important. I'd put him on the short list of most important people for what Michigan accomplished. Was he number one? No. Was he a player? No. I'm not saying any of that. But the ability for Boynton to slot into his role with a head coach in Dusty May, that he didn't really have much of a relationship and get Michigan's defense and get Michigan's culture to the points that they got on a Monday night in Indianapolis, really, really impressive. Now here's what I've been saying for the next few weeks, few months, few years, and we'll see if there's a beyond after this two-year deal for Mike Boynton junior Number one, the portal will open here soon, officially. Obviously, there's been plenty of great news that's been reported or posted by Michigan players in the days and weeks after May left to go to Dallas.
Brian Boesch • 03:54
This is the prove-it ground because the reality is none of these players could do anything. The announcements obviously are important, but we'll have to make sure that those are locked and loaded heading through the rest of this month. If Michigan's roster is intact on August first, it's a huge breath of and sigh of relief. It's a huge accomplishment for Boynton and what is left of the Michigan staff. Sure, you saw the news that Drew Williamson, Michigan assistant, he's off to the NBA. It's still going to be fluid. These things can change. But if Michigan sitting here on August first with a roster that many believe to be top five to ten in the sport, that's a really, really good sign. The thing I've continued to say about the upside, the future, the potential for a Mike Boynton led program is how does Boynton in this new era where even except for maybe the tail end of his time in Stillwater, he had not experienced the uniqueness of the job as a head coach.
Brian Boesch • 04:54
Especially at a place like Michigan where Boynton will inevitably have to go into less of a basketball mindset. It's all about the basketball at the end of the day. But Boynton has to be the premium, premier nil revenue generator. He has to be the central figure for a program that inevitably every program in college basketball, you're going to have pretty wild swings of players one season to the next. Boynton is trying to solidify and lock in being the long-term answer as head coach. How does he do that? How does he delegate? I have always said that is Dusty May's superpower. We heard that phrase a lot from players and coaches last year. What's the superpower of the team? The player? The coach? May's superpower was delegation and empowerment. I believe that Mike Boynton Junior can do that, but it's another thing to have to do it as the head coach of the program.
Brian Boesch • 05:51
He's been working constantly since May left on that Monday in June. A lot has been going on and unquestionably to this point, a pretty obvious success. Important days and weeks ahead, important months ahead. Because this coming season will be such a huge determining factor for what this program and what a Mike Boynton junior tenure looks like. But how does Boynton go from Again, these are guesstimations here. Eighty percent focus on basketball. Maybe seventy-five, seventy to forty, forty-five fifty percent. There are other elements to the job as a head coach that Boynton will have to inherit and thus he's going to have to filter out some of the basketball and recruiting, but certainly basketball-related items to other people. Do I believe he can? Yes, unquestionably. But you have to prove it. Yes, unquestionably. That will be my big question moving forward.
Brian Boesch • 06:52
It'll be fascinating to watch as the days and weeks go on. But again, just wanted to share a few thoughts, some perspective as we get into another good conversation with a new Wolverine, J.P. Estrella. Excited to share that with you. Also of course last week Jalen Reed. We've got some more interviews coming down the pipe pike, including we will have Mike Boynton Junior at some point. Again, I'm out this week, so if there's an introductory press conference, this podcast will be a little bit lagging behind on that one on one, but I assure you we will get one with Boynton and we'll have some fun conversations along the way as well. So that's my interlude. Now we'll go to the J.P. Estrella themed episode with the intro to start.
[music builds]
Brian Boesch • 07:46
The twenty twenty-five twenty-six Michigan men's basketball transfer class came together pretty quickly, with the one caveat being Yaxel Lendeborg. But Michigan staff knew fairly early on that if Lendeborg were to play one more season of college basketball, it would be in the maize and blue. The rest of the group, Elliot Cadeau, Morez Johnson junior, Aday Mara, they did not need a ton of time in the portal. But before selecting Michigan for the Wolverines, the twenty-six twenty-seven class took longer in the portal, and as we've learned through some of the reporting and the aftermath of Dusty May's departure to the NBA, that process took some unique twists and turns. There was one process this spring that was reminiscent of the national championship roster build, and that was the one involving J.P. Estrella, today's guest. As he'll tell us in a bit. Estrella heard from Michigan soon after he entered the portal, and two days after the portal opened and three days after Michigan won the national title, Estrella shared that he was joining Michigan, a team that ended his season a couple of weeks prior.
Brian Boesch • 08:45
Of course, Estrella was on that team for Tennessee that Michigan knocked off in the Elite Eight. Estrella's similarities with last year's class don't end there. You can tell a similar story with Estrella entering this season as you could with Mara or Johnson entering last year. Big men who have shown flashes of stardom with some really interesting analytics, but they didn't get quite as much time on the court to show their potential. Certainly in Estrella's case, an injury early on in his second season of college hoops contributed to this. But Estrella's advanced metrics could foreshadow a potential star if things break right. It's July, so it's easy to dream about the ninety-ninth percentile outcomes no matter what program you're talking about. And at Michigan, there is a new national title banner up and the development of an outstanding frontcourt around this time through April sixth.
Brian Boesch • 09:35
That's in one of the top tiers of reasons for that championship. Of course, May is gone, but Estrella recently verbalized his recommitment to a program that is attempting to maintain what made it the last team standing a season ago. Estrella gives Michigan another key cog in an attempt to make those who stand tall and tallest in the Wolverines locker room the catalyst for another championship cont catch up with Tennessee transfer and now Michigan Wolverine big man J.P. Estrella right here on Defend the Block. We're talking Michigan basketball.
Jeff Laurence • 10:08
Welcome to Defend the Block, where we'll take you inside the basketball programs with interviews, analysis and so much more. Now here's your host, Brian Boesch.
Brian Boesch • 10:22
J.P. Estrella, welcome to Ann Arbor. Let's start back. Originally, you were the first Portal commitment just a few days after the season ended for Michigan. Why Michigan back then?
J.P. Estrella • 10:32
You know, when I hit the portal, Dusty, kind of immediately after I did officially hit, it kind of called me and was like, hey, let's hop on the Zoom asap. We hopped on the Zoom, kind of just talked about some things, kind of talked about what he saw in me and all that. I got to talk to all the staff, too. So I got to talk to Coach, Coach B two. I got to talk to Matt, our strength coach. All the assistants on that Zoom call. It was a good Zoom call, and I really didn't have that many. I think I had two in total, because I kind of knew after. Honestly, after the Michigan Zoom call, I kind of got a good feel for it. Got a good feel for all the coaches. I got to talk to some guys, too. Like, this summer, I got to work out and hang out with the Diane Mares a lot. So I had to talk to them a lot about Michigan, and I kind of just got a good vibe about the whole thing and kind of just got a good feel.
J.P. Estrella • 11:22
And, you know, they said some things that they believe I could do, and I kind of agree with everything that they said, so they kind of led me to come here.
Brian Boesch • 11:29
Much was made about the quick transition from Michigan winning the championship to going to the portal. So was this that Tuesday? And if so, do you remember what time it was? Like, how. How long after? I imagine some of the staff was pretty tired.
J.P. Estrella • 11:40
Yeah. I mean, I remember the second I officially hit the Portal, like, literally the second I did, Dusty called me like, maybe, like thirty seconds after I did, and we hopped on a Zoom maybe five minutes after that. So, I mean, it was very, very quick. They made. They wanted to make sure that I talked to them asap, I think does it too. I was like his first Zoom too, so it was, like, immediate. So it was kind of cool to be a part of that super quick and kind of seeing them, like, already start to transition into the next year. And it shows how much they really care about wanting to go back to back. And not so much like just saying it, but they're actually doing it.
Brian Boesch • 12:18
You mentioned Dusty a lot in this. So Dusty leaves a few weeks ago. Why did you say, I'm going to stay? What other aspects about this opportunity have you wanting to stay in Ann Arbor?
J.P. Estrella • 12:30
Yeah, I mean, I wanted to make sure first, all the guys talking to them kind of felt comfortable with everything. So I kind of talked to everybody, kind of got a good feel for everyone. I mean, honestly, immediately Coach B kind of called me. We kind of had our meetings, and he kind of told me the exact same thing that Dusty was telling me. And, you know, Coach B, we got in the gym a lot. We got to talk a lot, you know, just working me out. We kind of got to talk a couple. Talk through things a couple times. Just really just be able to talk basketball and talk life. And I've already. I already knew him beforehand with the recruiting and stuff, so I had to talk to him a little bit, but really get to know him and all that. And he kind of. I got to talk about all the changes and whatnot. He kind of said it was going to be super similar. So, I mean, I was super excited for him.
J.P. Estrella • 13:15
And yeah, he kind of just made it seem like it was going to be the exact same situation just without another. Just without a different coach. So, I mean, I was super excited for him and all the guys obviously talking to him. Everyone's pretty much staying. I think everybody, almost everybody has said they're staying. So, you know, I'm super excited about that. And yeah, kind of just listening to him and kind of listening to what he had to say, it kind of made sense and click for me. And I kind of knew after talking to him that I was going to stay.
Brian Boesch • 13:40
Mention the life aspect with Mike, that's the thing that I've come to appreciate of knowing him over the last couple of years of him in Ann Arbor. How does he connect with players? How has he connected with you from a non-basketball standpoint? Because that seems to be a priority for him.
J.P. Estrella • 13:55
Yeah, I mean, obviously, like, we connect a lot. We talk about life all the time. But I mean, he texts. He was texting me on the Fourth of July, asking me what I was doing. I told him I went to my girlfriend's family reunion. He was. He was kind of happy for me about that. Just little things like that. Just chopping it up, talking on the phone. I think we'll probably go get some food at some point. Just, you know, little things like that really mean a lot. You know, coming. Coming from something. Just being able to talk to a coach really just means a lot to me. Something I haven't really had to do before in college from a head coach. So it's kind of. It means a lot to me to have a head coach really, like, talk to me a lot and, like, really care about what I'm doing. Not just on the court, but off the court.
Brian Boesch • 14:34
Let's talk about your game individually. What were you most pleased with what you put on tape from last year at Tennessee?
J.P. Estrella • 14:42
Definitely my paint. My paint. Scoring my right hook is kind of something I've had for a while, and that kind of was super effective for me last year. My offensive rebounding and rebound in general I feel like is something too that kind of stands out about my game. I feel like those two and I think defense too a little bit like post defense to a little bit was. It got better throughout the year but I feel like the main two were those two kind of I guess like the main thing I got to showcase in a sense there. But I'm really excited about what I'll be able to showcase this year.
Brian Boesch • 15:12
Something that both Michigan and Tennessee had in common last year was a deep group of bigs. You were a part of it last year. Tennessee expectation is you'll be a part of a deep group of bigs at Michigan this year. What do you learn from kind of coexisting and feeding off each other? Because last year just like you and some of your teammates, Nate, Felix, et cetera. You guys could have put up bigger individual numbers just like Yax, Aday, Morez could have. How do you make sure that it's about the team and not about me? What'd you learn from that last year?
J.P. Estrella • 15:43
Yeah, I mean my biggest thing is always just wanting to win a basketball game. That's the only thing I really care about honestly. So I mean when I play with good players it makes me better and it makes the team better. So I mean especially like last year, like you kind of said being able to play with Felix and Nate like six, ten, seven foot. So being able to play with a bunch of bigger guys, especially playing with Fee was a big like growing moment for me. Being able to play off another big was I think huge. You know because the second you get in a post or a short roll opposite big steps up you can just throw it up and then you got your other big man there and you got a guy like Nate that the second you catch it in the post maybe his guy comes and he's going right to the mid range. Just like little things like that. Being able to play off each other which I feel is going to help me a lot this year because it's kind of in the same situation in a sense.
Brian Boesch • 16:28
Looking at Morez and Aday this time last year to then you this year your on off numbers, your per forty right. It it seems like you have the type of upside to where more usage could result in in a huge boon for you individually. How do you get there and is that stamina time on the floor based or is there something else you can tap into?
J.P. Estrella • 16:49
Yeah, no, I agree. I think, I think it's really just getting the opportunity to play those those minutes in a sense and also just being able to rep it out every day. I mean, I feel like I had a, I didn't really have that big of an opportunity last year, minutes wise to do so. So I feel like this year is kind of going to be a big step for me, being able to show that. But yeah, I feel like it's just making sure that my body stays healthy, which I feel like right now is probably the best it's ever been. Michigan's been doing an amazing job already with me just making sure I'm healthy, you know, really making sure my body's taken care of and not overdoing it and making sure that feels good and it feels great right now, which I feel like is going to help me a ton of throughout this season. And yeah, like you said, conditioning is going to be a big piece. I was with CAA this summer doing the Dominic Lang workout, so that kind of, that helped out a lot.
Brian Boesch • 17:38
They'll get after it.
J.P. Estrella • 17:39
Yeah, they helped out a lot. Especially being like guys Morez and Aday this summer, being able to just talk to them about everything. To me, I feel like me and Aday got to talk a lot. We played a lot of golf this summer together.
Brian Boesch • 17:50
Some long clubs, man.
J.P. Estrella • 17:52
Yeah, he loved my driver. Let's say that my driver is pretty big and he was loving. He had a couple good shots too. But yeah, he was kind of talking about his, his transition in a sense because I feel like me and him kind of talk about we kind of had the same type of thing. Oh yeah. And he was just kind of telling me, yeah, you just gotta let coach do his thing, listen to him and make sure that your conditioning wise, ready to go. I said, well, we're gonna be just fine. We're doing the Don McLean workouts is going to get you ready for that.
Brian Boesch • 18:18
You were coming off an injury last offseason. Now you're healthy, now you're, you're able to invest more. How much of a difference, how much more are you able to do this offseason versus last, just physically?
J.P. Estrella • 18:28
Oh, a ton. I mean, last. Last season I really didn't get to practice a lot in the summer. I was mostly just in the weight room, which, I mean, I got my body right, which I felt like I felt the strongest I've ever been last year in this, in the summer. And then kind of once I got back into things, getting that cardio back up took a little while, but I finally got back into that. I feel like my body just feels so good now that I'm, I'm having no problems. Knock on wood. I feel great and just get ready for this amazing season.
Brian Boesch • 18:55
More with J.P. coming up momentarily. But first, the Michigan football promotion schedule is set for twenty twenty-six. It's loaded. When Oklahoma comes to town on September twelfth, it'll be a maze out at Michigan Stadium. Two weeks later, the matchup with Iowa is a stripe out, of course. Penn State, October seventeenth. That is homecoming. The block cancer game is October twenty-fourth, when the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers come to Ann Arbor and and Military Appreciation Day coincides with the renewal of the in-state rivalry against Michigan State November seventh. For full details, head to mgoblue dot com football promotions that's MGO blue dot com football promotions Few more questions with J.P. Estrella here on defend the block. The three-point shot. We saw a little sprinkle of it last year. How much of a focus is that?
Brian Boesch • 19:46
Where is it right now?
J.P. Estrella • 19:47
Yeah, I mean I didn't really get to showcase it last year. I feel like I've always had a three-point shot, but it's kind of just, you know, been in my back pocket in a sense. And I feel like this year talking with the coaches, they feel super confident in me and I've always been confident in myself. So kind of just having like a head coach that kind of believes in me and lets me be able to shoot the three now, I feel like I'm super excited about to showcase that part of my game and showcase a couple of parts of my game that I haven't been able to showcase yet. And it feels great just doing it really well. Really worked on it this summer with Don and everybody at CAA. So I feel great. I'm ready to show everybody that that shot.
Brian Boesch • 20:24
What can Trey and Elliot in the backcourt help unlock for you and vice versa, like how do they bring out the best in you by having such a good backcourt?
J.P. Estrella • 20:33
Yeah, I mean we saw it last year with how they played so well off of the bigs and the bigs help them as well. Like you know, just, just simple stuff like pick and rolls, pick and pops, playing with each other, those little full court passes that you see out of like guys with a die and like Elliot to Rez or Elliot to just little things like that. We just playing off each other now we're kind of getting into it here. I remember we were playing pickup the other day and Elliot was kind of talking to me about that. Like, you know, the second you look back at me, I'm gonna throw it to you. Just little things like that. Just learn to play with each other. It's just such a big emphasis right now.
Brian Boesch • 21:03
The other bigs guys like Jalen, Moustapha, this team has some really intriguing guys, some of the freshmen coming in. What excites you most about playing with that group, especially after seeing the big three for Michigan last year at times where Michigan said, hey, we're going to put all three of those guys out there and see if you can stop it.
J.P. Estrella • 21:22
Yeah, I mean, it's super exciting, especially seeing what all these guys did at the other schools too. We kind of all bought into what Michigan had to offer when we all hit the portal. And I feel like since being here, we've all been able to talk a lot and we all kind of have the same goals, which was to do the exact same thing. What happened last year, win the whole thing. That's like the number one goal. So I'm just super excited to play with these guys. I mean, I'm just super excited to, you know, keep building that chemistry and connection with everybody.
Brian Boesch • 21:46
Two more fun ones. First off, growing up in Maine with Maine basketball royalty in your mom, what was. What are the foremost childhood memories you have, especially as someone who has been able to climb so high in basketball in a state that you just don't hear of very much in that realm?
J.P. Estrella • 22:01
Yeah, well, when I was a little kid, probably some of the things I remember with her could be like she would go to her BC alumni games. I remember I went to one of them. That's where I kind of like started to understand what basketball was in a sense.
Brian Boesch • 22:17
How old are you?
J.P. Estrella • 22:18
Oh, I don't even know. I was young. Like, probably like four or five maybe. Oh, wow. Super young.
Brian Boesch • 22:25
One of your first. Probably like first memories.
J.P. Estrella • 22:27
Yeah, first memory. First memory of basketball for me was being in Boston College and watching my mom kind of play and she actually tore ACL while playing in one of those alumni games.
Brian Boesch • 22:37
No kidding.
J.P. Estrella • 22:37
It's either that one or her high school Kennebunk one. It was one of the. One of the two. Kidding. Yeah, she. She tore like four times. Like she. Yeah, so she. But yeah, she. It was probably that. Some other memories. Just like, you know, being in high school and stuff. Like, my mom was always like trying to make sure that I got seen in a sense from all the college. So should we record every one of the games I played in? And she put not just like highlights, but she posts the whole game on her YouTube account. And I remember I just. On the ride homes, I'd be watching it and talking to her a little bit about things like that, so. And she's always kind of been somebody, like, in my corner because she's kind of been through what I've been through, in a sense, with Basking College basketball, because she's been a part of it. So I'm always able to bounce questions off of her, like little things that I need or want to ask her.
J.P. Estrella • 23:22
And she's always great when it comes to that type of things.
Brian Boesch • 23:24
Lastly, I've heard you're a pretty staunch restaurant critic.
J.P. Estrella • 23:27
I am.
Brian Boesch • 23:29
What has so far passed the J.P. Estrella stamp of approval in Ann Arbor. It's early.
J.P. Estrella • 23:35
It's really early. You know, my. My agent kind of. He sent me a list because he is somebody that went to Michigan, sent me a huge list of food. It's probably like a fifty-restaurant list. OK. So I'm gonna make sure I get through all that. But recently, the Slurping Turtle, that has my approval. That place is pretty good. A sushi place. It was on. I haven't been. It was DoorDash. I forget the name of it, but it got taken off DoorDash, so I'm not too happy about that.
Brian Boesch • 24:02
But the sushi in the transfer portal.
J.P. Estrella • 24:04
Yeah.
Brian Boesch • 24:04
Try Uber Eats.
J.P. Estrella • 24:07
I might have to try Uber Eats. And then there was. It's like, I think another sushi one. Like Tokyo City. Yep. Maybe that sushi sushi guy, huh? Love sushi. Sushi's like probably like my go-to raw.
Brian Boesch • 24:17
You going all.
J.P. Estrella • 24:19
Yeah, yeah. Like spicy tuna, eel. I go. I'm not picky at all when it comes to. Except mushrooms. Mushrooms I'm picky about. And then this Italian place. I think it's like Patio Paleo. Paleo Fire.
Brian Boesch • 24:33
Yep.
J.P. Estrella • 24:33
That's ten out of ten for me. That place I want my dad's birthday, it was fire. So those. Those three places for me right now are J.P. approved. I can keep you updated, please.
Brian Boesch • 24:44
This will be a follow-up.
J.P. Estrella • 24:45
OK, I'll keep you updated. I got a little list on my phone of all the places I'm going to start putting rankings next to them and little notes and stuff.
Brian Boesch • 24:52
Restaurant analytics with J.P. Estrella.
J.P. Estrella • 24:54
Yes, sir.
Brian Boesch • 24:55
I like it. J.P. Appreciate your time, my man.
J.P. Estrella • 24:56
Yes, sir.
Brian Boesch • 25:05
Thanks again to J.P. thanks to Tom Wywrot for his help in organizing the interview. Excited to continue our offseason coverage of Michigan men's basketball. Plenty to get to, of course, as it's been an interesting last few weeks. But. But we'll keep introducing you to the new members of this Michigan program and catch up with some of the holdovers as well. So thanks to J.P. and thanks to all of you for listening right here on Defend the Block.
Jeff Laurence • 25:30
Thanks for listening to today's edition of Defend the Block, part of our Michigan Athletics Podcast Network, M Go Blue Podcasts. The preceding has been a Learfield presentation of the Michigan Sports Network.
