Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 17, 1995                   TAG: 9505170093
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAVID MOORE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

NBA ROOKIE AWARD A SPLIT DECISION: KIDD AND HILL

In that context, it seems appropriate that he will share the NBA Rookie of the Year award with Detroit's Grant Hill.

``It's great,'' Kidd said after arriving in Dallas late Tuesday afternoon. ``I can't say too much until tomorrow, but I'm really excited. It probably won't sink in for about a month once everything calms down.''

Privately, club and league officials confirm that Kidd and Hill will be named co-Rookies of the Year today in news conferences in Dallas and Auburn Hills, Mich. Afterward, the two are scheduled to fly to New York, where they will attend Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Knicks and the Indiana Pacers.

The voting breakdown from a nationwide panel of 105 sportswriters and broadcaster won't be released until today. Milwaukee's Glenn Robinson, the first player selected in the 1994 draft, reportedly finished a distant third.

``We'll neither confirm nor deny,'' said Brian McIntyre, the NBA's vice president of public relations. ``An official announcement will be made'' today.

This is the third tie in the 48-year history of the award. During the 1970-71 season, Boston's Dave Cowens and Portland's Geoff Petrie shared the honor. Indianapolis' Bill Tosheff and Milwaukee's Mel Hutchins split the honor during the 1951-52 season.

Hill, with a soaring style that elicited comparisons to Chicago's Michael Jordan, jumped to the fastest start of any player in the rookie class. His flair and Madison Avenue charm helped earn Hill a starting berth in the NBA All-Star Game and two appearances on ``The Late Show with David Letterman.''

But as the season progressed, Kidd and Robinson made it clear that they also were strong candidates for the award. In a late-season poll of general managers conducted by The Dallas Morning News, Kidd was the overwhelming choice as best rookie. The Mavericks' 23-game improvement from last season - one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history - appeared to be a big factor in Kidd's surge.

Another measure of Kidd's impact is this: His scoring average of 11.7 points is the worst for a winner since the advent of the 24-second shot clock for the 1954-55 season. Only four other winners have averaged fewer than 15 points in the history of the award. They were Philadelphia's Woody Sauldsberry (12.8 points) in '57-58, Baltimore's Wes Unseld (13.8 points) in '68-69, Portland's Sidney Wicks (14.2 points) in '71-72 and New York's Mark Jackson (13.6 points) in '87-88.

Hill could not be reached for comment.