{{short description|American basketball player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Josh Sharkey | image = | image_size = | caption = | position = Point guard | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 10 | weight_lbs = 169 | league = | team = Balikesir | number = | nationality = American | birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1997|9|10}} | birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | high_school = * Abington Friends School<br>(Jenkintown, Pennsylvania) * Archbishop John Carroll<br>(Radnor, Pennsylvania) | college = Samford (2016–2020) | draft_year = 2020 | career_start = 2020 | years1 = 2020–2021 | team1 = Tigers Tübingen | years2 = 2021 | team2 = Legia Warsaw | years3 = 2021 | team3 = Start Lublin | years4 = 2022 | team4 = Delaware Blue Coats | years5 = 2022 | team5 = Birmingham Squadron | highlights = *Second-team All-SoCon (2019) *Third-team All-SoCon (2020) *SoCon All-Freshman Team (2016) }} '''Josh Sharkey''' (born September 10, 1997) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Balikesir in Turkey in the TBL league. He played college basketball for Samford.
==Early life and high school career== Sharkey grew up in the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia. As a freshman, he attended Abington Friends School alongside Tony Carr and Lamar Stevens. Sharkey transferred to Archbishop John Carroll High School as a sophomore, where he was teammates with Derrick Jones Jr. and Ryan Daly. He scored 13 points and had 10 rebounds in the 2015 PIAA Class AAA final loss to Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School. Sharkey was an All-Delco performer at Archbishop Carroll.<ref name="degeorge" /> During the 2015 Peach Jam Invitational, Sharkey averaged 7.1 points per game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Miley |first=Garrett |date=July 19, 2015 |title=Josh Sharkey commits to Samford |url=https://www.cityofbasketballlove.com/news_article/show/535621-josh-sharkey-commits-to-samford |access-date=October 26, 2020 |website=City of Basketball Love}}</ref> He committed to Samford, the only school to offer him a scholarship, over Penn.<ref name="degeorge">{{Cite news |last=DeGeorge |first=Matthew |date=January 30, 2020 |title=Samford's Sharkey out to make a difference |work=Delaware County Daily Times |url=https://www.delcotimes.com/sports/samfords-sharkey-out-to-make-a-difference/article_02b5a9a2-42d2-11ea-acab-1bb1c17a39a7.html |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref>
==College career== Sharkey averaged 8.2 points and 4.2 assists per game as a freshman at Samford but struggled with his shooting, hitting 21.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He started two games, but mainly served as a backup to Christen Cunningham.<ref name="verlin">{{Cite web |last=Verlin |first=Josh |date=November 8, 2017 |title=Sharkey set for sophomore season down south at Samford |url=https://www.cityofbasketballlove.com/news_article/show/854203 |access-date=October 26, 2020 |website=City of Basketball Love}}</ref> As a sophomore, Sharkey averaged 7.3 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hooper |first=John |date=April 8, 2018 |title=After a disappointing season, Samford is dealing with another mass exodus |url=https://www.midmajormadness.com/2018/4/8/17202406/samford-bulldogs-southern-conference-scott-padgett-christen-cunningham-transfer |access-date=October 26, 2020 |website=Mid-Major Madness}}</ref> On January 24, 2019, he scored 19 points and had a school-record 16 assists in a 107–106 overtime loss to Wofford.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2019 |title=Men's Basketball Falls In OT Heart-Breaker At Wofford, 107-106 |url=https://samfordsports.com/news/2019/1/24/mens-basketball-falls-in-ot-heart-breaker-at-wofford-107-106.aspx |access-date=October 26, 2020 |website=Samford Bulldogs}}</ref> He averaged 16.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a junior, earning Second Team All-Southern Conference honors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mullins |first=Joey |date=October 16, 2019 |title=Samford Basketball Preview |url=https://www.samford.edu/news/seasons/issues/2019/fall/samford-basketball-preview |access-date=October 26, 2020 |website=Samford University}}</ref> On January 30, 2020, Sharkey scored a career-high 35 points and had seven assists in a 92–84 loss to Chattanooga.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 30, 2020 |title=Ryan scores 28 to lift Chattanooga past Samford 92-84 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401175362 |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> He was named to the midseason watchlist for the Lou Henson Award during his senior season.<ref name=hunt/> As a senior, Sharkey averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.<ref name=socon/> He was named to the Third Team All-Southern Conference.<ref name="SoCon awards">{{Cite press release |title=All-SoCon men's basketball teams announced |date=March 4, 2020 |publisher=Southern Conference |url=https://soconsports.com/news/2020/3/4/all-socon-mens-basketball-teams-announced.aspx |access-date=October 26, 2020}}</ref> He finished his Samford career as the leader in assists (758) and steals (285) and was seventh in scoring with 1,592 points.<ref name="socon">{{Cite web |date=September 26, 2020 |title=Former Samford guard Sharkey signs first pro deal |url=https://soconsports.com/news/2020/9/26/mens-basketball-former-samford-guard-sharkey-signs-first-pro-deal.aspx |access-date=October 26, 2020 |website=Southern Conference}}</ref>
==Professional career== On September 26, 2020, Sharkey signed his first professional contract with Tigers Tübingen of the ProA.<ref name="schmidt">{{Cite web |last=Schmidt-Scheuber |first=Miles |date=September 26, 2020 |title=Josh Sharkey To Start Professional Career With The Tigers Tuebingen |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/news/646058/Josh-Sharkey-To-Start-Professional-Career-With-The-Tigers-Tuebingen |access-date=October 22, 2020 |website=Eurobasket}}</ref> On November 3, he was recognized as ProA player of the week after contributing 28 points and 12 assists in a 103–101 win against Paderborn Baskets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sharkey's double-double lands him ProA Interperformances Player of the Week award |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Germany/news/651549/Sharkey's-double-double-lands-him-ProA-Interperformances-Player-of-the-Week-award |website=Eurobasket |accessdate=November 3, 2020 |date=November 3, 2020}}</ref>
On June 23, 2021, Sharkey signed with Legia Warsaw of the Polish Basketball League.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://plk.pl/aktualnosci/n/21192/josh-sharkey-zagra-w-warszawie.html|title=Josh Sharkey zagra w Warszawie|last=|first=|date=June 23, 2021|website=Plk.pl|language=Polish|access-date=June 23, 2021}}</ref> In four games, he averaged 15 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and two steals per game. On October 1, Sharkey signed with Start Lublin.<ref>{{cite web |title=Josh Sharkey agreed terms with Start |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Poland/news/706923/Josh-Sharkey-agreed-terms-with-Start |website=Eurobasket |access-date=October 1, 2021 |date=October 1, 2021}}</ref>
===Delaware Blue Coats (2022)=== On January 5, 2022, Sharkey was acquired via available player pool by the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He was then later waived on January 18, 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://gleague.nba.com/transactions/|website=gleague.nba.com|title=2021-22 NBA G League transactions|date=January 5, 2022|access-date=January 5, 2022}}</ref>
===Birmingham Squadron (2022)=== On March 30, 2022, Sharkey was acquired via available player pool by the Birmingham Squadron.<ref>{{cite web|title=Squadron Acquire Samford Grad Josh Sharkey|url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/squadron-acquire-samford-grad-josh-sharkey/n-5805726|website=OurSportsCentral.com|date=March 30, 2022|access-date=March 31, 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life== Jameer Nelson is a cousin of Sharkey's, as Nelson's father and Sharkey's maternal grandfather were brothers. Nelson trains with Sharkey, and he grew up a big fan of the NBA star.<ref name="hunt">{{Cite news |last=Hunt |first=Donald |date=January 14, 2020 |title=Josh Sharkey running the offense at Samford |work=The Philadelphia Tribune |url=https://www.phillytrib.com/sports/basketball/josh-sharkey-running-the-offense-at-samford/article_7b2d09af-4597-5cfc-a697-81d2a118f074.html#/questions |access-date=October 23, 2020}}</ref> Sharkey's favorite musician is Meek Mill.<ref name="verlin" />
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://samfordsports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/josh-sharkey/6805 Samford Bulldogs bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sharkey, Josh}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:American men's basketball players Category:American expatriate basketball people in Germany Category:American expatriate basketball people in Poland Category:Archbishop John Carroll High School alumni Category:Basketball players from Philadelphia Category:Birmingham Squadron players Category:Delaware Blue Coats players Category:Legia Warsaw (basketball) players Category:Point guards Category:Samford Bulldogs men's basketball players Category:Start Lublin players Category:Tigers Tübingen players Category:21st-century American sportsmen