J.P. Estrella is making up for lost time after playing in just three games last season before undergoing left foot surgery.The 6-foot-11 big man has opened this season with three consecutive standout performances. He aims for another strong showing when No. 20 Tennessee (3-0) faces Rice (2-2) on Monday night at Knoxville, Tenn.Though he serves as the backup to starting center Felix Okpara, Estrella quickly has displayed that he’s fully recovered from the foot injury. He’s averaging 17.3 points on 71.4% shooting (25 of 35) for the Volunteers and ranks second in scoring behind freshman Nate Ament (20.7). Estrella and Ament are tied for the team rebounding lead with 8.7 boards per game.Estrella has been especially good the past two games while playing just 20 minutes in each.He had 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and collected a career-best 11 rebounds in a 95-56 rout of Northern Kentucky on Nov. 8. Estrella followed up with a career-high 23 points to go with 10 rebounds in Wednesday’s 99-66 drubbing of North Florida.The strong play out of the gates has been a stunner to most people, but not to Tennessee coach Rick Barnes.”I don’t think we’re surprised because we told him, from the day that we recruited him, what we thought he could be,” Barnes said. “And we do think, as a staff, the last two weeks, his mindset has changed. I mean, I think missing a year. We knew that would take a little bit of time, but he’s gotten so much better with his focus in practice.”And I don’t think there’s any secret to this game. It’s a game of habit. It’s a major mindset game, and he’s been able to carry over into the games what he’s been able to do in practice the last couple weeks.”Tennessee starting guard Bishop Boswell (right foot) missed the North Florida game. His status for Monday’s game is unclear.The Volunteers will be looking for their 40th consecutive nonconference home victory when they entertain Rice.Owls coach Rob Lanier spent 10 seasons as an assistant under Barnes — six campaigns (1999-2001, 2011-15) at Texas and four at Tennessee (2015-19).