Jerry Beck is a former American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 expatriate professional basketball player of the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 who is better known for his collegiate career at Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University

Middle Tennessee State University, commonly abbreviated as MTSU, is a public university located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, United States....

. Between 1978–79

1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

-Pre-season polls:The top 20 from the AP Poll during the pre-season.-Conference winners and tournaments:Of 22 Division I basketball conferences, 13 determined their league champion with a single-elimination tournament, while seven leagues sent their regular-season champion to the NCAA tournament...

 and 1981–82

1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

The 1981–82 NCAA Division I men's basketball season began on November 27, 1981, progressed through the regular season and conference tournaments, and concluded with the 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Championship Game on March 29, 1982 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans,...

, Beck scored 1,401 points, grabbed 782 rebounds and was twice named the Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year

The Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the Ohio Valley Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1962–63 season. The most recent winner is Kenneth Faried, a power forward who plays for Morehead State...

. In addition, Beck was selected three straight years to the All-OVC First Team.

A 6'7" multi-position player who primarily switched between small forward

Small forward

The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...

 and power forward

Power forward (basketball)

Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...

, Beck led the Blue Raiders to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

 appearance in 1982

1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1982 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 48 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 11, 1982, and ended with the championship game on March 29 in New Orleans, Louisiana...

. In a first round match-up against perennial title contender Kentucky

Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball

The Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...

, he recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead MTSU to arguably its biggest win in school history. They defeated the Wildcats, 50–44, thereby spoiling a much-anticipated second round match-up between Kentucky and Louisville

Louisville Cardinals men's basketball

The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the 18th winningest college basketball team in NCAA Division I history and has the 10th best winning percentage in college basketball history. Currently coached by Rick Pitino, the Cardinals of the University of Louisville have been to 37 NCAA...

. The Blue Raiders lost to Louisville by 25 points the following game.

Years later, in a Murfreesboro Post column that ranked the top ten men's basketball players in MTSU history, they selected Beck as the #1 greatest player. Following college, the Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....

 selected him in the fourth round (89th overall) in the 1982 NBA Draft

1982 NBA Draft

The 1982 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1982 at the Felt Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.-Key:-Draft:-Other picks:-External links:**...

, although Beck decided to play internationally in Holland. He played in the Netherlands up until age 42, at which point he retired and became a permanent resident in Amsterdam

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...

.