Howard University forward Seth Towns gave an insightful press conference after the Bison's First Four game against the Wagner Seahawks. Howard fell to Wagner, 71-68, leaving Towns and his teammates with a despondent demeanor. Towns has gained national recognition as an eight-year college basketball veteran, and unfortunately, it seems as though he's played his last collegiate basketball game.

In his media availability after the game, Towns delved into why attending an HBCU was so important for him.

“I can say that it's a true honor to play for an HBCU,” he said. “It's one of the more empowering experiences I've ever had. It goes so much deeper than basketball, than how we perform on the court. It shows up in the spirit that you see in who we are, who we become as men. That's so much of why we had these breakthrough moments as a team. So much of why we look at ourselves so deeply in the mirror is because of how much it matters, how ingrained this has been in our identity. We're playing for something that's so much bigger than us, and I think we all understand that.”

Towns, a 6'9″, 230-pound forward, is one of the more well-traveled players in NCAA men's basketball history. He graduated high school in 2016, the same year as five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA superstar Jayson Tatum. The Columbus, Ohio, native committed to and played for Harvard for his first two seasons.

He produced well as a freshman, averaging 12.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and shot 39.2% from three-point range. Towns improved drastically in his sophomore year, increasing his scoring, rebounds, assists, and three-point percentage all at once. He earned the Ivy League Player of the Year award and led Harvard to a conference championship appearance in 2018.

Unfortunately, a series of knee injuries knocked Towns out for two straight seasons, combined with the COVID pandemic. In 2020, Towns transferred back home to Columbus to play for his hometown Ohio State Buckeyes.

He spent most of the season trying to get back on his feet after having been off the court for nearly two years. Despite the poor statistics, things were looking up for Towns as he entered his final year of eligibility, until another injury reared its ugly head. This time, he had to deal with a back problem, forcing him to take a medical redshirt year.

Instead of immediately returning to the floor, Towns took a year off. He debated coming back to the sport he loved. Eventually, he decided to transfer to Howard University for his final season.

“Passion,” Towns said to Mike Lopresti of NCAA.com on why he returned. “It don't know what much else to say outside of that. I love basketball, it's in my DNA, it's in my bloodstream. Knowing that there was still a chance…”

In his final year, Towns returned to his old form. He averaged 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.0 steals for the Bison. He had multiple big games, including a 27-point performance in an overtime loss to Cincinnati.

He also had 27 points and 10 rebounds in a 78-72 win over Morehouse. In the MEAC Championship game, Towns poured in 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds to help Howard repeat as MEAC Champions. In his final game, Towns again scored 16 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished three assists, and knocked down three three-pointers against Wagner. His last three-pointer was a huge momentum boost for Howard as they mounted their comeback in the waning minutes of the game.

While Seth Towns might have played his last NCAA basketball game, there's no chance he won't find a way back on to a court sometime soon.