In Memoriam: Pep Saul

Frank "Pep" Saul (1924-2019)

South Orange, N.J. - Frank "Pep" Saul, Seton Hall men's basketball's first 1,000-point scorer, first to have his number retired and member of Seton Hall Athletics' inaugural Hall of Fame Class of 1973, has passed away at the age of 95.

Saul played for the Pirates as a freshman in 1942-43 before going to serve in the United States Military during World War II. He returned to The Hall in 1946 to earn his college degree and continue playing basketball for the Pirates. He led the Pirates in scoring each of his final three years and became Seton Hall's first 1,000-point scorer on March 5, 1949 in a win over Creighton.

In Saul's four years on the roster, Seton Hall's record was 74-17. This included an 18-game winning streak to start the 1946-47 season when the basketball program and Saul had returned from the war.

After his Seton Hall career concluded, Saul was selected in the first round of the 1949 NBA Draft by the Rochester Royals, 12th overall. He played six seasons in the NBA and won four NBA titles, one with the Royals and three with the Minneapolis Lakers. Saul played important roles on many of those championship-winning teams, including averaging 11.3 points and 3.5 assists in 13 playoff games for the 1951-52 Lakers.

Saul's Seton Hall number three was retired by the school, and in 1973, he was one of 11 inductees into the inaugural Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame class.