By Kyle Kelly

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Highly touted high school sophomore Karl Towns Jr. from St. Joseph High School in New Jersey attended Big Blue Madness Friday night alongside other potential UK recruits.

Towns will remain busy as he still plans to visit Duke on Friday and Michigan State next weekend to finish up his fall campus visits.

Towns is widely considered the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2015, and is often compared to NBA superstar Kevin Durant.

Towns mentioned players such as Durant, Len Bias and Magic Johnson having influence on his game, but said, “I have an individuality about myself as a player.”

Towns is a sophomore this season but has loads of experience on the court. He was on the Dominican Republic national team coached by UK head coach John Calipari. St. Joseph athletic director Jerry Smith said “He is a young kid that acts and plays more like a senior.”

As a freshman, Towns averaged 11.6 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.1 blocks per game. This effort helped lead the team to its first non-public group A state championship.

“Last year was a senior-driven team, this year the pressure falls on me so I have to work harder and go out there every game and give 100 percent,” Towns said. “I am all about winning, not statistics.”

After the most successful season in St. Joseph history and the experience from the Dominican team, Towns will no longer just be a “role player.”

“He now has an inside and outside game and the ball will go through him this year. This is now his team,” Smith said.

Towns mentioned how his time with the Dominican National team this summer and working with its staff has helped him tone his post game.

“They are one of the best staffs in the nation. They work so hard as coaches to give us the best opportunity to win,” Towns said about the Dominican staff, which was made up largely of UK coaches.

Towns has all A’s and takes advanced classes.

“He has a good head on his shoulders and he knows there is more to life than just basketball,” Smith said.

With his intelligence and ability, it is always a question if he will re-classify.

“I am just worried about this upcoming season,” Towns said. “School work and education are a high priority.”

St. Joseph is no stranger to having prominent coaches attending basketball games.

Andrew Bynum, who went straight to the NBA out of high school, also played at St. Joseph High School.

Now Towns has drawn attention from big-name schools and has coaches drooling at the mouth to land him.

“Karl is a 6-11 sophomore with a size 20 shoe. He has to special order his shoes from Texas,” Smith said with a chuckle.

But what is not a joke is Towns’ game on the court.

“Karl has put us on the map. He really is a unique kid,” Smith said.

UK fans have impacted Towns, who referenced his visit to Big Blue Madness.

“The fans really respected me and the work that I have put in, and it encourages me to be a better a player,” he said.