[3][4] As a sophomore, he averaged 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, earning first-team All-County honors from The Star-Ledger and leading the team to a 22–7 record.

[3] Before his junior season, Townes announced that he would transfer to St. Joseph High School in Metuchen, New Jersey, in pursuit of "bigger and better opportunities.

"[5] He joined a lineup that featured future National Basketball Association (NBA) players Karl-Anthony Towns and Wade Baldwin IV.

[6] As a senior, he averaged about 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals per game, being a third-team All-State pick by The Star-Ledger.

[1] His team, which was ranked the 12th best in the nation by USA Today, finished with a 30–2 record and won the state's Tournament of Champions for the first time in program history.

[2] He drew interest from various college football programs, such as Penn State, Maryland, and Rutgers, but eventually chose to focus on basketball.

[7] A three-star recruit, Townes decided to start his college basketball career with the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, turning down offers from Saint Peter's, South Alabama, Hartford, and Charleston Southern.

[10] He led the team to the 2016 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they lost to Florida Gulf Coast in the First Four round.