Oakland (Mich.) transfer forward Trey Townsend commits to Arizona Wildcats

Given the Lou Henson Award as the nation’s top mid-major player last season while helping lift Oakland to a shocking first-round NCAA Tournament upset over Kentucky, the 6-6 Townsend was a lightly recruited high school player who grew into a standout over four years with the Golden Grizzles.

He agreed Tuesday to spend a fifth season playing for the Wildcats, just as Johnson did last season after climbing a four-year ladder of progress at San Diego State. Both players used their COVID year of eligibility to enter the transfer portal, then find fits on the floor and in the NIL space; Johnson reportedly received around $400,000 last season while Townsend had leverage to receive at least as much for next season.

Rated the No. 58 top spring transfer by 247 Sports and No. 86 by On3.com, Townsend visited Arizona last week while also visiting Ohio State and Michigan. His agent, George Langberg, told the Star that UA coach Tommy Lloyd has been talking to Townsend about playing power forward and also at small forward.

The Wildcats also lost center Oumar Ballo to Indiana and small forward Pelle Larsson to the NBA Draft, giving Townsend potentially more opportunity to feature his offensive game. Townsend averaged 17.3 points and 8.1 rebounds last season and was a selective but accurate 3-point shooter, hitting 12 of 32 shots behind the arc last season. 

“He’s a very mature young man so he made his own decision and he felt good about the opportunity to fill right in at that forward spot where Keshad Johnson left,” Langberg said.

Townsend has proven especially effective on the glass and in getting to the free-throw line. He rebounded opponents' missed shots 18.7% of the time when he was on the floor last season, ranking 323rd nationally in defensive rebounding percentage, while drawing 5.1 fouls per 40 minutes. He also converted resulting free-throw opportunities at a 77.9% rate.

Already named the Horizon League Player of the Year, Townsend made a national name for himself during the NCAA Tournament's first weekend.

Between Oakland's stunning first-round upset of Kentucky and an overtime loss to eventual Final Four team N.C. State, Townsend averaged 23.5 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 42.5%. He had 30 points and 13 rebounds against the Wolfpack, after posting 17 points and 12 rebounds as the Golden Grizzlies held off Kentucky in the first round.

“Trey Townsend physically in the second half went to work,” Oakland coach Greg Kampe said after the Kentucky game.

A product of Oxford, Mich., who was born to parents who both played for the Golden Grizzlies, Townsend played four seasons at Oakland and still has a strong bond to the school. His father played for Kampe, and Trey said during the NCAA Tournament that Kampe held him as a baby, and that he first remembered giving Kampe fist-bumps after games before later attending his camps.

Not surprisingly, while announcing his decision to leave earlier this month, Townsend thanked teammates, fans and Kampe, calling the coach "the true 'Mr. Oakland," a nickname Townsend had gained.

"There isn't enough room on any platform to explain how much you have meant to my story," Townsend said about Kampe. "Thank you for letting that skinny kid from Oxford be a part of the program he so badly wanted to join. Thank you for always believing in him and helping him get to where he is now in his career. You truly changed his life with that one opportunity."

Townsend will join four other players lined up as of now for the Wildcats' two post spots: center Motiejus Krivas, redshirt sophomore forward Henri Veesaar, freshman forward Carter Bryant and freshman center Emmanuel Stephen. 

Townsend's commitment brings the Wildcats' roster up to at least nine players for next season, plus possibly NBA Draft-testing guards Caleb Love and KJ Lewis. Among other recruits, the Wildcats have been targeting former Tennessee forward Tobe Awaka.

Rim shots 

• Verus Basketball announced on Instagram that it will be representing Johnson.

• Five star class of 2025 forward Will Riley included Arizona among five possible choices along with Kentucky, Arkansas, Auburn and Alabama and Australia's NBL, according to On3.