If only for a few minutes, many basketball know-it-alls would like to climb inside the head of Northland standout Seth Towns to understand how a coveted recruit could pass up scholarship offers from dozens of elite programs and instead commit to Harvard.
Although he kept a low profile during Towns’ recruiting process, Vikings coach Sean Taylor wasn’t surprised that the 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward recently chose the Ivy League school over Ohio State, Michigan, UCLA, Florida, Butler and others.
“You have to understand: Seth is wired differently than most of us,” Taylor said. “He’s a different kind of guy. He’s not afraid to take the unconventional approach.
“I know it had to be a tough decision, but he made a bold statement and I applaud him for it. I knew he was serious about Harvard from the start.”
To gain a better perspective of Towns’ makeup, one should visit his Twitter page. Posted are quotes from his favorite authors and poets and random statements such as “Dare to be different” and “Cannot wait to take a Harvard philosophy class.” Linked is a recent interview with Bleacher Report explaining his commitment to Harvard.
“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path,” he said, offering a partial quote of 1821 Harvard graduate Ralph Waldo Emerson, before adding. “Dismantling normality — that’s what I stand for. I’m attempting to dismantle normality, personally, by going to Harvard. My goal is to go pro with a Harvard degree.”
Towns went on to say that he plans to major in computer science and that his dream job is to be a software developer for Google.
Academics always held a prominent place in Towns family, and there was an expectation that he would attend college.
“He’s a child who has sought out learning since he was 2 years old,” said his mother, Melissa Smitherman. “Seth has never been a follower. He’s a trailblazer, and his college decision reflects that.”
As a youngster, Towns said there was a presumption that he would follow in his parents’ footsteps and attend Ohio State. But as he matured physically and entered high school, he became one of top-rated players in the nation for his age.
“Basketball opened so many doors the past few years,” he said. “When offers started coming in from so many schools, it complicated things. People were tugging at me in many directions. When Harvard initially showed interest, it became a thing with me.”
James Towns, Seth’s father, admitted that the family continually wrestled with the dynamics of balancing basketball and academics.
“Obviously Seth is a very bright young man, and we wanted to put him in the position of ultimately making the decision on his own,” he said. “I only offered advice if it was necessary. I introduced him to lawyers and other professional people who had gone to prestigious schools and who were impartial, to give him a variety of input.”
Towns, a self-professed “math nut” who carries a 4.0 grade-point average and scored a 25 on the ACT on his first try as a sophomore, said that in the final analysis he thinks a degree from Harvard will set him apart.
“I realize that most people are going to look at this decision from a basketball perspective and wonder why I wouldn’t rather go to a program that’s getting national exposure and this and that,” he said. “Life after basketball is what most people don’t bother to look at it. It’s the most vital thing of all.
“I’ve embraced the challenge of breaking away from the stereotypes and perceptions of big-time college basketball.”
Towns was smitten with Michigan for some time, but his mother said he grappled with the concept that he would be perceived as following in the footsteps of Trey Burke, another Northland star who was the consensus national player of the year after leading the Wolverines to the 2013 NCAA tournament championship game.
Ultimately, Towns said, the choice came down to Harvard and Butler.
An athlete lacking Towns’ vision might have eliminated Harvard from the get-go. Although most Division I programs offer athletes full five-year scholarships, the Ivy League operates under a much different philosophy: no athletic or academic scholarships.
But financial aid is provided based solely on need, and in 2006, Harvard instituted an aid program for more lower- and middle-income students. In families earning less than $180,000 annually, students are responsible for only 10 percent of the household income.
Harvard coach Tommy Amaker and school admissions advisers assured Towns’ parents that the financial obligation would be minimal.
“They said they could do whatever it takes to make it happen,” James Towns said. “Our only concern is that our kid got into Harvard.”
On the court, Harvard is one of the fastest-rising programs in the country. Under Amaker — who was a star player at Duke, an assistant under Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski and spent six years as Michigan’s head coach — the Crimson have posted six consecutive 20-victory seasons and four straight NCAA tournament appearances. In 2013, Harvard upset third-seeded New Mexico; in 2014, it upset fifth-seeded Cincinnati; and last season, the Crimson took North Carolina to the wire before falling 67-65.
Towns, who averaged 21.4 points and 11.5 rebounds and made first-team all-Ohio as a junior, is one of three highly-regarded recruits landed by Amaker for the 2016 class.
“I’m making my own path to create my vision, and Tommy Amaker is going to help me do it,” Towns said. “He’s a very intelligent guy and a great role model. I developed a tremendous amount of respect for him during the recruiting process. He laid everything out for me, the positives and the negatives, and told me to think everything through very carefully.
“That’s when I decided that there was no way I could lose with a degree from Harvard.”
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