By Anthony Colucci, St. Joseph’s Beat Writer
METUCHEN, NJ–McDonald’s All-American can be added to Karl Towns’ resume, along with Dominican National team member, 1,000 point scorer and top ten recruit.
The 7-foot Towns is one of the top players to come out of New Jersey with his versatile combination of an inside and outside game.
“I’m working on every facet of my game,†Towns told ESPNU after he was selected to play in the game. “I want to be the best ball handler. I want to be the best shooter…My game is built on versatility so I want to be the best every single aspect.
Last December, before his sophomore season, Towns announced his intentions to commit to Kentucky and forego his junior year of high school. Towns has led St. Joe’s to their only two state championships. The now 14-1 Falcons were the consensus #1 team in the preseason rankings and early favorites to win this year’s New Jersey’s Tournament of Champions
Towns, who is enjoying an astonishing season with 22.5 points and 14.3 rebounds per game averages, is the third player in St. Joe’s history to be selected to the prestigious event, along with Jay Williams and Andrew Bynum, who both eventually turned pro. Williams was named as one of the Top 35 McDonald’s All-Americans in 2012 in honor of the 35th anniversary of the game.
Towns could not be any more flattered.
“I just couldn’t resist smiling for this,†Towns told ESPNU later in the interview. “It’s such a great thing to be participating in and I’m just so happy to be part of everything.
The McDonald’s All-American Game is the paramount honor for a high school basketball player along with the Nike Hoop Summit, which Towns participated in as a sophomore last season and will likely return to this year.
Some notable alumni of the McDonald’s game include Patrick Ewing, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. The game is played between the East’s and West’s top prospects and includes a separate showcase for the country’s top girls. Much like the NBA All-Star Weekend, in addition to the game, there is a dunk contest, a three point shootout and a timed, overall skills competition. All proceeds of the event benefit the Ronald McDonald House,
Almost 1,000 high school seniors were nominated for the event, including Towns’ current teammates Wade Baldwin (Vanderbilt), Raven Owen (Canisius), and Marques Townes (undecided). Joining Towns for the East are Tyus Jones (Duke), second generation McDonald’s All-American James Blackmon (Indiana), fellow tri-state area standout Isaiah Whitehead (Seton Hall) and fellow top tier big men Cliff Alexander (Kansas) and Myles Turner (undecided). The opposing West team will be made up of Grayson Allen (Duke), Stanley Johnson (Arizona) and Towns’ future Kentucky teammates Devin Booker, Tyler Ulis and Trey Lyles.
The McDonald’s All-American Game will take place on April 2 at the United Center in Chicago.