SoCon Basketball: Ranking of 25 best players from last decade (2013-23)

By Joey Loose | Aug 25, 2023

Mar 23, 2019; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Wofford Terriers guard Fletcher Magee (3) leads his team in a huddle before their game against the Kentucky Wildcatsin the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /

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SoCon Basketball Samford Bulldogs guard Josh Sharkey Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

18. Josh Sharkey

Although the team struggled a bit throughout most of his career, Sharkey was an important piece of the puzzle at Samford. A 5’10 point guard from Philadelphia, he joined the Bulldogs’ program in 2016 and spent his entire career in the SoCon, becoming the full-time starter in his final two seasons.

As a bench piece during his freshman year, he helped lead Samford to a 20-win season, putting up 8.2 points a game. After similar numbers the following season, his production took a big step forward as a junior, averaging 16.3 points and 7.2 assists per game as the starting point guard. He had a 19-point, 16-assist performance against Wofford and had a number of great performances as an upperclassman. He’d put up comparable numbers as a senior and even had a 35-point game against Chattanooga.

Sharkey was Second Team All-SoCon in each of his last two seasons, emerging among the national leaders in assists. His 756 career assists remain one of the highest numbers in the conference’s history, while his scoring contributions were also quite important to the Bulldogs. Again, Samford didn’t have the greatest success but got some impressive point guard play from Sharky at least.