Seth Towns commits to Ohio State

Harvard graduate transfer and Northland product Seth Towns has committed to Ohio State in an announcement on ESPN.

After announcing his plans to transfer, Towns announced Tuesday that he would be making a final decision this week. His list of finalists consisted of Ohio State, Virginia, Kansas, Michigan, Maryland and Syracuse. The next day, national media reports indicated that Duke had entered the mix, and the Dispatch confirmed Thursday that his final decision would come down to the Buckeyes and Blue Devils.

“Overall it was a perfect fit across the board,” Towns said live on SportsCenter. “Being at home, the school, my relationship with coach and some really incredible teammates that I’ll have that I’m excited to play alongside. Super excited to play for Ohio State. Buckeye Nation, just know how excited I am. Additionally, the support system I’ll have, coming home, not just from my family, not just from my friends but even from past players I have strong relationships with whether it be Jared Sullinger, who’s like a big brother to me, Evan Turner and several others.”

Towns enjoyed a storied career at Northland. He graduated as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,018 points, and as a senior he averaged 31.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.4 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. He was also a first-team all-state selection, putting him on the same team as Ohio State’s Kyle Young. It was the second straight year in which he was named first-team all-state as well as district player of the year.

He was listed as a three-star prospect, the No. 9 player from Ohio and the nation’s No. 129 overall recruit according to the 247Sports.com composite rankings. Towns also held offers from Dayton, Iowa and the Air Force, among others.

Towns was also recruited by Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann while he was at Butler, a connection that factored into his decision.

“My relationship with coach Holtmann really set them apart from other schools,” he said.

As a freshman at Harvard, Towns averaged 12.3 points per game while shooting 42.8% from the floor and 38.8% from three. He increased his overall production as a sophomore, averaging 16.0 points while shooting 44.1% from three and earning Ivy League player of the year honors.

He then missed his junior season due to injury, and he missed last season as well after undergoing season-ending knee surgery. For his career at Harvard, Towns averaged 14.2 points and 5.0 rebounds.

Towns has two years of immediate eligibility.

“Home is where the heart is,” he said. “You hear that all the time. I’m incredibly excited to play at home. My parents are the two biggest Buckeye fans you might ever come across. To have an opportunity to play for the school that you always dreamed of playing for ever since I was a kid, that opportunity to fight for the city that raised me is so invaluable. It gives me a ton of pride.”

At the moment, Towns’ commitment moves the Buckeyes back over the scholarship limit for next season. Ohio State could still lose freshman Alonzo Gaffney, who was away from the team for the final four games of the season, and junior Kaleb Wesson, who will test the NBA draft process.

As such, the Buckeyes seem set for now for the 2020-21 season from a roster addition standpoint.

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

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