There are a multitude of factors that make Towns an impressive athlete. First, he's already massive, standing at 6'11" and weighing 235 lbs. He could certainly add a little strength, but remember, he's only a sophomore in high school right now. Along with his size, he is an amazing shooter, especially for a big man. There are some great shooting big men out there and a few that are solid shooters on Michigan's current roster, but Towns can easily shoot up to 25 feet and from 3 pt range. He isn't afraid to use his shooting ability either and doesn't hesitate in his delivery. He also has decent speed and can run in transition. On the defensive side, he is a great rebounder and can also make an impact through his blocking. To be blunt, his only real weakness right now is some strength issues. He is a player that can make a massive impact on both sides of the court and change a team's dynamic.
Here are the basic stats on Towns:
Height
|
6’11”
|
6’10”
|
6’9”
|
6’10”
|
6’10”
|
Weight
|
235 lbs
|
225 lbs
|
210 lbs
|
230 lbs
|
225 lbs
|
Position
|
C
|
N/A
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
Rating
|
5*
|
NR
|
5*
|
NR
|
5*
|
Position Rank
|
#1
|
NR
|
#1
|
NR
|
#1
|
National Rank
|
#1
|
NR
|
N/A
|
NR
|
#2
|
Not all the rankings may be out quite yet, but there's some things that the major scouting services are in agreement about in regards to Towns. For the most part, he seems to be about 6'10" and weighing around 225 lbs. They all believe he will be playing center, except Rivals who hasn't listed a position yet. To me, he's going to be a center, without a doubt, he's simply too big to put at power forward, even though he could do some major damage as a shooter there. Of course, he will need to gain the strength and mass to be able to play center in college, but he has plenty of time for that. ESPN, Scout, and Future150 also have him as an extremely elite player in the country, which makes perfect sense with his amazing skillset.
Now, for the interesting part. Where does Michigan stand with Towns? By all accounts, pretty well, especially considering that he will be visiting relatively soon. If the visit goes well, Michigan has a real shot with landing him in the future. In an interview with UMHoops, he talked about how he grew up as a Michigan fan, which surely helps Michigan's stance. He did point out that this isn't going to be the sole factor in his decision as he wants to make the best decision for him and his family, but it certainly is going to help things, especially with Beilein's current success.
The visit for the Air Force game could be the biggest factor in all of Towns' recruitment. He has never been to Ann Arbor before and the first impression will likely be the one that lasts with him for the future. He already has been receiving a lot of attention from the "big name" schools like Kentucky, UConn, North Carolina, and Syracuse. In fact, he recently got to play for the Dominican Republic's national team under John Calipari, who is currently the head coach for Kentucky. There's no doubt that this time probably helped Kentucky in their chances with Towns, not that they really needed any help with their recent performances, so making a good impression this weekend will be huge.
I think Michigan is sitting pretty well with Towns right now, but this should be one that doesn't conclude for quite awhile, especially if he ends up at Michigan. Beilein doesn't offer scholarships for 2015 recruits until next summer, so don't look for a commitment anytime soon, but stay tuned, because this could be a big one for Michigan in the future.
(EDIT: Reports that visit will be delayed later in the season)
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