Kentucky Basketball: Karl Towns Jr. prepares for final season at St. Joe’s before joining UK

Karl Towns Jr. has made a name for himself recently while playing at St. Joe’s High School. The 7-1 foot tall prodigy from the Dominican Republic is entering his Junior year of High School, and he will receive enough credits to play for the Kentucky Wildcats the following year. Towns is a gifted kid on and off of the basketball court, but what does he want to do with his life after playing ball?

“I want to become a doctor of kinesiology and one day open a hospital in my mother’s homeland of the Dominican Republic,” said Towns, who enters his junior year in the fall, but will have enough credits to graduate next spring.

The study of kinesiology involves the study of mechanics of body movements. The game that Karl Towns plays involves a lot of kinesiology in terms of his style. Towns is quick up and down the floor and is very involved on both sides of the ball like a point guard. The lifestyle that Karl Towns has outside the court can leave average people physically and emotionally drained, as he studies for hours because he is very involved in his school work.

Karl Towns evolved from a freshman with raw talent to a sophomore with developing talent. He set a school record for 3-pointers his freshman year, but the main problem with his game was his little frame. Towns wasn’t usually a force in the paint and therefore would easily get pushed around in his pivot. This was crucial when Towns was invited to play for the Dominican Republic national team, as he faced bigger and stronger opponents who would bump him around the paint.

Karl Towns Jr. quickly changed and wanted to become a force from everywhere on the court. He simply gained weight while maintaining his speed and agility. Towns gained about 20 pounds and lifted weights four times a day, which eventually shape shifted Karl Towns into becoming a “total package”. During the course of a long season,  Towns not only kept on the weight, but he added 15 more pounds and currently weighs a steady 250 pounds.

This past winter, Towns led the Falcons in scoring (20.6 points per game), rebounds (13.8), and 3-pointers (32). Plus, most importantly, he became as effective scoring inside as he did from outside of the 3-point arc. The 27-5 St. Joe’s Falcons repeated as NJSIAA Non-Public A champions and made it to the Tournament of Champions finals before being knocked off by Roselle Catholic High School.

On a team with talented players, Karl Towns Jr. is the star of the team for St. Joe’s and could be the greatest to put on a uniform for them.But he also has high praise for his teammates, such as Wade Baldwin, Marques Townes and Raven Owen, all destined to play collegiately, as well.

“They have been the best in terms of getting me involved and transforming a group of individuals into a real team,” Towns said. “[My teammates] seem to follow my lead, and it has been like a family working together. As a result, we’ve all gotten better.”

A great relationship between Karl Towns and his parents are evident. The impact of his father, Karl Towns Sr. can’t be underestimated. Karl’s father impacted his life on a day to day basis in the uprising of basketball ever since day one. The elder Towns is currently the coach of Piscataway Vocational Technical High School, and he has paid close attention to his son’s career on and off the court since it became obvious the youngster was a special talent, especially off the court.

“My parents are the ones who keep me focused on my education,” the younger Towns said. “They regulate my time in the gym — except for games — and make me complete three hours of study a day. Basketball is a big part of my life, but my education is my top priority, so I keep both in perspective and allocate my time precisely.”

Karl Towns holds a 4.1 GPA at St. Joe’s High School, as resulting from a strict study schedule. Towns certainly strives to keep up the good grades while going to the University of Kentucky. The University of Kentucky is one of the leading Universities with a specialized study in kinesiology. As for the individual highlight of his young career, Towns said being named national Gatorade Player of the Year tops the list. He also counts the South Jersey Non- Public A, overall Non-Public A and Greater Middlesex Conference championships his teams won twice as special moments.

Right now, Karl Towns has one goal. That goal is winning the Tournament of Champions crown next year, his final before heading to Kentucky. To accomplish that, he sees two things that need to happen.

“The first is for me to become more consistent with what I do best on the court,” Towns said. “Then, I need to make sure I get all my teammates involved. We have a lot of talent coming back, and I know we all want to be part of a championship team.”

Karl Towns Jr. is a special kid, and is setting the bar for other special recruits that look at the Wildcats for the 2014-15 season.