Mills, Kidd, Olson Earn Pac-10 Honors

Arizona swingman Chris Mills was selected Pacific-10 Conference player of the year and California point guard Jason Kidd was named freshman of the year in voting by the league’s 10 coaches.

Also honored Friday was Lute Olson, named coach of the year for the fourth time in 10 years at Arizona.

Olson guided the sixth-ranked Wildcats (23-3, 16-1) to their sixth conference title in eight years.

Mills, second in the conference with a scoring average of 20.1, becomes the second Arizona player to earn player of the year honors since Arizona joined the conference in 1978. Sean Elliott, now with the San Antonio Spurs, was honored in 1988 and 1989.

Kidd leads the league in assists (7.4) and steals (3.8).

The all-conference team is made up of guards Tyus Edney of UCLA, Damon Stoudamire of Arizona, Stevin Smith of Arizona State, Bennie Seltzer of Washington State and Kidd; centers Rich Manning of Washington and Scott Haskin of Oregon State; and forwards Ed O’Bannon of UCLA, Lamond Murray of Cal, and Mills.