Earl Belcher

Earl V. Belcher Jr. (born December 15, 1958) is a retired American basketball player who is best known for his collegiate career at St. Bonaventure University between 1977–78 and 1980–81. While playing for the Bonnies, Belcher scored 2,077 points, averaged 20 points per game for his career, and was twice named the Eastern 8 Men's Basketball Player of the Year (the Eastern 8 is now known as the Atlantic 10 Conference).

Early life Born in Queens, Belcher moved upstate to Syracuse at age six when his father had to relocate while working for General Motors. He played many sports as a youth, including basketball, golf, tennis, baseball, football and hockey. St. Bonaventure earned a berth into the 1978 NCAA Tournament but lost in the round of 32 to Penn. They finished their season with a 21–8 overall record. The following year, Belcher increased his averages to 21.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while leading the team in points for the first of three consecutive seasons. Behind a 19–8 record, the Bonnies earned their way into the 1979 National Invitation Tournament. He was also selected to the Eastern 8 All-Conference First Team. In Belcher's final season he repeated as both a First Team and conference player of the year honoree. He scored 2,077 points, which is second all-time in school history behind Greg Sanders' 2,238 but still ahead of Hall of Famer Bob Lanier, who sits third on the list. He was supposed to be the back-up to future Hall of Famer George Gervin in 1981–82 but he never appeared in a regular season game. with the exception of a two-game attempted comeback with the Continental Basketball Association's Wyoming Wildcatters. He then went home to Syracuse, New York to work for his old high school basketball coach at Niagara Mohawk Gas and Electric Company. He concurrently pursued a master's degree in business (MBA) at the State University of New York at Oswego, and in 1999 he received his degree.

Belcher is an actor and musician as well and plays the saxophone. After Niagara Mohawk Gas and Electric Company downsized and he lost his job, Belcher became a professional jazz musician. He is also a proficient on piano, trumpet, drums, upright bass and guitar player and utilizes his musical ability in Albany and Schenectady, New York. Aside from performing in a jazz trio alongside his wife, Sarah, Belcher also holds a regular day job.