Meet ‘The Unc’ of college basketball: Howard’s Seth Towns

Jeff Borzello, ESPN

• Staff WriterJan 31, 2024, 09:30 AM ET Close Basketball recruiting insider.
• Joined ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.SETH TOWNS WAS sitting with

his Howard colleagues and discussing television programs they enjoyed when they were younger, cartoons when they were kids.”SpongeBob SquarePants” was a staple for

the entire team.Towns brought up” Nerve the Cowardly Pet Dog.

“A lot of his teammates hadn’t heard of the animated

series. As Towns started explaining the premise, he discovered one of his teammates gazing with his mouth open.”Canine, you old,”he said to Towns.After a pause, Towns responded.

“Damn, I am old.

“You see, “Nerve the Cowardly Pet Dog”

worked on Cartoon Network from 1999 to 2002. Some of Towns’teammates weren’t even born until 2003 or 2004.”Unc,”as Towns is understood around school, is almost 7 years

older than the team’s freshmen and among the oldest players in college basketball. His very first collegiate game was Nov. 11, 2016. For reference, Barack Obama was still in office,”Doctor Strange “was the No. 1 movie at the box office and the song”Closer” by The Chainsmokers was at the top of the charts that week.He’s currently in his eighth season of college basketball– and could have another year of eligibility. His journey has been a complete one, with 3 schools, multiple injuries and a year far from the sport. Now 26 years old, Towns is playing his finest basketball because 2018. 6 years earlier, where did he think he would remain in 2024?” It absolutely wasn’t Howard, “he told ESPN, laughing.

play 4:43 Seth Towns reveals he is moving to Ohio State Harvard forward Seth Towns signs up with SportsCenter and exposes he is moving to Ohio State.LESS THAN TWO weeks after the world shut down in 2020 because of

the coronavirus pandemic, Towns was among the greatest stories in college basketball. He was considered the

finest graduate transfer in the website after finishing from Harvard– despite having missed his last two seasons after undergoing 2 surgical treatments to repair split cartilage in his left knee. After being pursued by the similarity Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, Virginia, Syracuse, Michigan and Maryland, the 2018 Ivy League Player of the Year ultimately selected the Buckeyes, making his announcement survive on SportsCenter.” We felt it was worth the gamble, “Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann told ESPN just recently.”But hey, if he could return to a version of his sophomore year. … If he could return to 70%, I felt like he might assist us.

“Editor’s Picks 2 Associated For Towns, it had to do with getting home– he participated in Northland High School, less than 10 miles from the Ohio State campus– and a chance to get to the next level. The last time he was healthy,

he fascinated scouts as

a 6-foot-7 forward who shot nearly 44%from 3-point variety. “The NBA was where my eyes were, “Towns stated.” Draft boards and all that excellent stuff, it kind of appeared it was headed that way. “Towns averaged 3.8 points in 2020-21 as Ohio State earned a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament, with his role increasing in the postseason due to Kyle Young’s injury. “He truly helped us the one year that he was completely healthy,”Holtmann said.”

Gave us fantastic pop off the bench with his maturity, offense and shot-making. He was an excellent team guy.”Towns missed the 2021-22 season with a back injury.

Then in September 2022, after playing simply 25 games for the Buckeyes, he announced he was stepping far from basketball.”I had not quite mastered the balance of just how much work to put in versus just how much to look after my body,”he stated.”That whole very first year was simply a struggle to preserve whatever health I might muster. I constantly want to do a little more than I should. … Every offseason was a surgery or attempting to rush back into playing.”In 3 years, he

‘d seen 8 various physicians and went through three different surgeries for the very same concern. When he went on Ohio State’s preseason trip to the Bahamas in August 2022, he realized his knee wasn’t healthy enough for him to play. “I understood that it was possible that it was over for good. I also understood it was possible it wasn’t,” Towns said.”

It was a step far from Ohio State and maybe a step far from basketball. I wasn’t sure. “It was absolutely actually difficult needing to fulfill that type of reality.” Seth Towns played 2 excellent seasons at Harvard before being sidelined by knee surgical treatments. His efficiency throughout his sophomore season netted him Ivy League Player of the Year honors–

and interest from NBA scouts. Courtesy Harvard Sports LAST SPRING, HOWARD coach Kenny Blakeney got a call from Harvard coach Tommy Amaker. That’s not unusual. Blakeney played at Duke for Mike Krzyzewski when Amaker was an assistant for the Blue Devils. Blakeney thinks about Amaker one of his mentors. “Seth Towns wants to concern Howard,”Blakeney recalled Amaker saying.A couple of days later, Towns called Blakeney and provided the very same message.When he devoted in May, Towns still didn’t know if he might play basketball– and Blakeney didn’t have any expectations for somebody who played just 25 games over the previous five seasons.But Towns had his reasons for participating in Howard. The Crimson had played at Howard during Towns ‘junior year, when he was remaining. It was around the time Towns started diving greatly into literature– especially Zora Neale Hurston, who attended Howard, and Sonia Sanchez, who taught at Howard

. Pursuing a Ph.D. or MFA in Howard’s prominent English department was a course that interested Towns. “The capital for black intellectual space that it was … I was simply setting myself up for

the very best possible scenario, “Towns said. “I might study precisely what I want to study, while providing myself an opportunity to hoop once again. “Among the important things Blakeney appreciated about Towns when they spoke was his participation in the Black Lives Matter movement; Towns was briefly detained by police during a peaceful demonstration following George Floyd’s death in 2020. In a span of simply 24 hours, I strolled throughout a Harvard virtual graduation phase into the back of paddy wagon along with other peaceful protestors-both of which I am similarly proud of. pic.twitter.com/qtvXmw0Fwq!.?.!— Seth Towns (@ 219setty)May 30, 2020 He was not arrested and was launched a few hours later. At the time, his actions amassed support from Amaker, Holtmann and Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith.Towns ‘future teammates were familiar with his story, too.”He’s unwavering in what he believes in terms of social justice,”Howard guard Joshua Strong stated.” That’s something that resonates with me. He’s put it out on the line. He was in the streets when it was time to advocate, he actually did that. That’s a danger that not a great deal of student-athletes are willing to take.”Towns ‘advocacy was a crucial reason Blakeney desired him at Howard.

“He fit with what we stood for as a basketball

program,”Blakeney said.During his year off, going back to the sport was always a thought for Towns, however he seldom picked up a basketball. It wasn’t till he went to alumni weekend at Harvard a few weeks after commiting to Howard that he

started to take the concept of returning seriously.”I played for the first time in ages and a great deal of the guys said, you don’t require to be done playing,”Towns said. Harvard’s visit to play Howard in 2019 when he was a junior accompanied Towns’growing interest in literature. He would call Kenny Blakeney a

little over four years later on to reveal his desire to study at the HBCU.

Courtesy Harvard Sports So before arriving in Washington in the summer season, and still not completely convinced he could go back to dipping into a Department I basketball level, Towns returned approximately Boston to deal with a fitness instructor he understood from Harvard: Bryan Doo, who utilized to be the strength and conditioning coach for the Boston Celtics. He needed to see how strong his knee mightget. Conversations and workouts with Doo, Jack Baldwin (among Doo’s coworkers) and Bobby Esbrandt(Howard’s physiotherapist) convinced Towns he was ready.But he likewise required a psychological reset. Last spring, he informed The Columbus Dispatch he ‘d”restructured “his relationship with basketball.”It’s more so the dominance that it has more than my value system,”Towns told ESPN.”What it suggests to not just be a basketball player, however the precedence that it held in my life was a lot. Injuries modest you, for much better and for worse.”With the better health of his knee and clearness in his technique to the game, Towns hit the ground running at Howard. “He steps on the court and within 5 seconds, you understand he’s a bad motherf– er, “Blakeney said.”It referred, how can this knee hold up? Can he make

it through the rigors of how we work as a program?” Strong remembered one of Towns’very first full-speed workouts in the fall. “It was an offending drill, 3-on-3 actions, 4-on-4 actions,”Strong stated.”And he scored 11 straight points by himself. Nothing forced, simply him making shots. “After remaining the very first three games while waiting for NCAA clearance, Towns came off the bench for 3 games, and has been

in the starting lineup since. He’s balancing 15.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, shooting 37.4% from 3-point variety.

He has actually scored in double figures in 16 of 19 games, including 26 points versus Mount St. Mary’s and 27 against Cincinnati.”I’m playing the very best given that my sophomore year,”Towns said.”Now I’m 26. It’s a big distinction in how I’m playing the game.” play 0:20 Seth Towns gets the hoop and the damage Seth Towns gets the hoop and the damage THE TEAM GATHERED at Towns’apartment early in the season and chose to look for

everybody’s high school highlights on YouTube. Eventually, it was Towns ‘turn.”The cover slide was like, Seth Towns, 2013, “Strong said. “2013! That’s so long ago. But he was getting buckets. He’s been getting buckets for a minute. But 2013! It’s wild to consider.” When enjoying Towns now, there’s very little to indicate he has actually only played moderately in the past six years. He can still shoot it, he’s a great passer and rebounder, and he still has a knack for getting prompt baskets late in games.Blakeney has been most amazed by Towns’work ethic. He recalls a particular circumstances against La Salle, when he subbed

out Towns for a breather; minutes later on, Blakeney appreciated see Towns strolling

past him to sub himself back in the game.”I was like, you just MJ ‘d me right now,”Blakeney stated. play 0:17 Seth Towns eradicate protector for and-1 Seth Towns fights off defender for and-1″If all things are equal and he doesn’t have injuries, he’s in his 4th or 5th year in the NBA. And yet he’s battling and scratching and clawing his ass off daily for us at Howard,”he included.”He doesn’t wish to take plays off. He comprehends there’s a sense of urgency with his basketball clock today. “Obviously, the volatility and athleticism isn’t rather

where it used to be. Blakeney points out Towns is 0-for-3 on dunk attempts this season.One of them, versus Rutgers, was obstructed off the backboard. The other 2– well, Towns called them “embarrassing as hell. “” It’s not that I can’t leap any longer

, “he said.”Some days my legs want to comply, and some days they don’t.”While there’s still an opportunity Towns has a year of eligibility left– in spite of having actually played just three overall seasons at Harvard and Ohio State, one of which was the COVID-impacted 2020-21 season the NCAA does not count towards eligibility, he would have to make an application for a waiver again– he’s unlikely to make the most of it.Top stories of the week from Get unique access to thousands

of premium articles a year from top authors. – Here’s who Liverpool should work with”- Final 2024 ESPN 300 rankings: New QB?”- Trade candidates on every

NBA team”More ESPN+material”There’s a clock ticking on his knee’s capability to withstand high-level basketball, and he knows it.”

I’ll most likely attempt to play basketball expertly for as long as my body will allow, “he stated, with

the most likely path being overseas. “All my faculty has informed me to take a break [from my Ph.D. work] I can constantly come back to this.”From among the most prominent universities in the country to one of the most significant athletic programs in college sports to”The Capital “for young Black intellectuals, Towns has checked a great deal of boxes during his

time in college.He hasn’t had a possibility to assess everything yet; he’s in the middle of basketball season, after all. However he’s anticipating it. For now, he’s simply soaking all of it in.And maybe taking psychological notes.” The book will offer, “
he stated with a laugh.