David Banks-USA Today Sports
Brown sophomore guard Joe Sharkey is listed in critical condition after being punched in the head in what appears to be an unprovoked assault.
Sharkey was talking with a group of women around 2:00am (EST) early Sunday morning when someone apparently walked up to him and landed a punch, causing severe head injuries. According to Providence Deputy Police Chief Thomas Oates III, the incident occurred on Providence’s East Side between Thayer and George streets.
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Sharkey is a 21-year old sophomore who missed all of the 2011-12 season after being injured in a preseason practice. He returned to the court this past year in a back-up roll, appearing in all but one game for the Bears. Brown finished the 2012-13 season at 13-15 overall. A hospital spokesman said that Sharkey was still in critical condition, but that is all that is known at this time.
A Brown spokesperson had no immediate comment on the situation. According to reports, it is unclear at this time whether or not Sharkey and the assailant knew each other, but the incident prompted both campus and city police to respond.
This is a sad situation and here’s to hoping that Sharkey can recover from this off-season head injury and return to the court for the 2013-14 season.
Sharkey is a 6-foot-2 native of Norwood, Massachusetts and had attended Northfield-Mount Hermon (MA) prior to committing to Brown. He averaged 1.4 points and 1.5 rebounds this past season in just over 12 minutes of action per game.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
