Sad news for Philly and Villanova fans

[Gerk]

Former Villanova star Howard Porter in critical condition. Didn't realize he lived in Minnesota

What happened to Howard Porter was a mystery Sunday night.

On Sunday afternoon, St. Paul police asked for the public's help in finding the Ramsey County probation officer, who had left his St. Paul home at 9 p.m. Friday and hadn't been seen since.
Then just a couple of hours later, police said the 6-foot-8 Porter, a former star college basketball player, had been found alive, a victim of an assault. KSTP-TV, Channel 5, reported at 10 p.m. that Porter, 58, was severely beaten and was hospitalized in critical condition.
Aside from saying they received a 6:30 p.m. call about Porter's disappearance that presumably helped authorities locate him, police refused to discuss other details.
Those details ranged from when and where the suspected assault took place to Porter's activities and whereabouts after he left home Friday.
Police spokesman Tom Walsh said no arrests had been made. Several investigators, including members of the department's homicide unit, were searching for suspects, Walsh said.
He also said it was unclear whether Porter was victimized because of his role as a probation officer. Investigators are reviewing his list of clients. Information about how long Porter had been a probation officer and to what type of offenders he was assigned was not available Sunday night.
A woman who answered the phone at Porter's home Sunday said that his wife was unavailable and that no one at the residence would comment.
Porter's past has included national sports acclaim, as well as a slide into drug addiction and subsequent redemption.
"He is an interesting guy," Walsh said.
In 1971, Porter led Villanova University into the NCAA basketball title game against UCLA. Villanova lost by 6, but Porter was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Because he had signed a pro contract before the season ended, he was denied the trophy and Villanova had to forfeit its tournament victories. Porter played seven pro seasons with four teams.
Then began a two-decade struggle during which Porter experienced a broken marriage, an injury-riddled pro career and cocaine addiction. After a move to Minnesota, however, his life turned around.