COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus native Seth Towns has had a basketball career unlike any other. Now the former Buckeye is part of a special club that includes Jared Sullinger and Trey Burke.

Towns returned to his roots at Northland high school for a halftime ceremony on Feb. 7, retiring his jersey and earning a place in the school’s athletics hall of fame.

“You walk in and you know everybody, it’s just an outpouring of support and active love,” Towns said.

He remains Northland’s all-time leading scorer and nine years after graduating, his No. 31 jersey has a spot in Viking immortality.

“Growing up right around the corner, I’m just a normal community Columbus kid,” Towns said. “The high school team just happens to be the number one team in the country. That’s what produces dreams for these kids.”

Towns’ place in the school’s hall of fame is the latest achievement for the former forward, whose college career spanned eight seasons across three schools, including Ohio State. Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler played a big role in Towns’ journey to becoming a Buckeye.

“It’s really special because what I love about Seth is he cares about Columbus and he cares about Ohio State,” Diebler said. “What a cool moment for the Columbus community, the Columbus basketball community.”

During the 2020-21 season, Towns averaged 3.8 points for Ohio State, which earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. He missed the following season with a back injury before announcing he would step away from the sport. Towns returned to the hardwood in 2023 to play for Howard University.

“I always appreciated, whether you’re here for one year or four years […] if you give your all to this program, you’re always a part of the family and he embodies that,” Diebler said.

Towns is now on his own coaching journey, returning to where his collegiate career began at Harvard as an assistant coach.

“You know transitioning to coaching is a really cool change for me just because it feels so natural, so organic to be myself,” Towns said. “But also I feel like I have so much to give to these young student athletes.”