Former Seton Hall basketball player Dick Gaines dies at 86

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Gaines, who played basketball at Seton Hall and is a member of the school's athletics hall of fame, has died. He was 86.

Gaines died on Dec. 10, according to a news release from the school on Friday.

Gaines played at Seton Hall from 1954-57 after a one-year stint on the junior varsity team. He was named an Associated Press honorable mention All-American after averaging 21.1 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior in 1956-57.

Gaines' career scoring average of 19.6 points per game is fourth in school history and his 1,511 points is 20th. He was selected by the Syracuse Nationals — now Philadelphia 76ers — in the 1957 NBA draft and had a long career playing in the Eastern Basketball Association.

Gaines also worked with the South Ward Boys Club in Newark and later became an educator in the East Orange school system.

He is survived by his wife, Gail Jordan Gaines, children Dana and Richard Gaines, stepchildren Jahna Wilder and Christopher Jordan, along with several grandchildren.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25