By Michael McAllister
Karl Towns is a 6'11" high school freshman who's been creating buzz because of his play this spring. At 6'11" he plays almost like a guard with good handle, excellent shooting ability, and the ability to attack the basket. Combine that with a solid inside game and improving strength, and it's easy to see why he's a hot prospect. Nation of Orange was able to speak with his dad recently, who is also his AAU coach, about Karl.
Nation of Orange: What kind of player is Karl? Describe his game, his strengths, and his weaknesses.
Coach Towns: Karl is a complete player. He can shoot the ball, has a great passing IQ, rebounds the ball, blocks shots, and can handle the ball like a guard at 6'11". These are his strengths and makes him so intriguing. His weakness would be has to bulk up. He has already gone from 228 to 235, so he's moving up.
Nation of Orange: He finished 2nd in the 3-point shooting contest at the Mary Kline Classic. What was that experience like, how did he perform in the game, and what did he take away from that event?
Coach Towns: The Mary Kline Classic was awesome and was rewarding to Karl because he lost his grandfather and a couple other family members to cancer, and he felt he needed to support Alex (the event's founder) and the great cause. Karl is very serious when it comes to cancer, the American Heart Association, and all major causes. He wore a pink arm sleeve and pink socks for the event. He played well but it was a chance for people to see his shooting, when he proved finished second to a senior when he's only a freshman.
Nation of Orange: How has his recruiting been? What schools have been showing interest?
Coach Towns: The recruiting has been great. He has heard from Syracuse, Kentucky, Rutgers, Baylor, Michigan, Michigan State, Seton Hall, Ohio State, Villanova, North Carolina, Indiana, Stanford, Kansas, Maryland and others. They are all great schools.
Nation of Orange: Has he received any official offers?
Coach Towns: We have talked but it is a long summer. We are gearing ourselves for the U19 summer games in Brazil with the Dominican National Team. So that is our main concern. The offers will be looked at after, so the answer is to be determined later.
Nation of Orange: What are the most important factors for Karl when choosing a school?
Coach Towns: The most important factor in choosing a school is location, because Karl is very close to his mom. Also, education because Karl wants to be a Kinesiologist.
Nation of Orange: What is Karl like off the court? What does he like to do for fun?
Coach Towns: Karl is very family oriented. He spends most of his time playing XBox, playing with his niece, and maintaining his education. He has a 4.3 grade point average. Karl loves to golf, and stay home to spend time with his mom and me. Being he is so busy, family time is important to him.
Nation of Orange: What are Karl's goals for next season?
Coach Towns: Karl's goal for next season is to win another championship and become class president again. He wants to be a leader and a role model for the new players.
Nation of Orange: What is Karl's favorite NBA team?
Coach Towns: Karl loves the New York Knicks. In his mind, they can do no wrong.
Nation of Orange: Is there any player that Karl models his game after?
Coach Towns: His outside game he models after Kevin Durant. His inside game he models after Len Bias, who used to play for Maryland.
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