“We are thrilled to have all of our draft choices under contract,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “A.J.’s versatility is very appealing to us. He has played all three linebacker positions and he will have a chance to help us on special teams. Kenjon has great speed and was a dynamic player on offense and special teams at Oregon.”

A three-time All-Big 12 Conference choice, Klein started 38 career games at Iowa State – 21 at middle linebacker, 12 at strongside linebacker and five at weakside linebacker –  and produced at least 110 tackles in each of his three seasons as a starter. As a senior in 2012, Klein led the Cyclones for the second consecutive season with 117 tackles. In his junior season, he was named co-Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year with current Panthers and former Oklahoma defensive end Frank Alexander.

Barner ranks second in University of Oregon history with 3,623 rushing yards and 5,848 all-purpose yards, and is tied for second with 41 rushing touchdowns. In his final season at Oregon, Barner was a first-team All-American and finalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year and Doak Walker Award, given to the nation’s top running back, after compiling 1,767 rushing yards, the second most in school history. As a freshman in 2009, Barner set a school record with 1,020 kickoff return yards on 41 returns, scoring a touchdown on a 100-yard return.

“Star gives us an impactful three-down defensive lineman and Edmund has a lot of natural ability and upside that we will work to develop,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “We look forward to seeing both players contribute to the team.”

Lotulelei played in 38 games with 28 starts in three seasons at the University of Utah, earning first-team All-America and first-team All-Pac-12 conference honors as a senior in 2012 after posting a team-leading 11 tackles for loss to go along with five sacks. As a junior in 2011, Lotulelei earned the Morris Trophy, awarded to the best defensive lineman in the Pac-12 Conference. He finished his career at Utah with 107 tackles, 22.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, four forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and five passes defensed.

Kugbila played in 45 games with 32 starts at Division II Valdosta State. He made 22 starts at right guard and 10 at right tackle, finishing his career with 187 knockdown blocks. He did not allow a sack in his final two seasons at Valdosta State after shifting to right guard as a junior. In his final season at Valdosta State, Kugbila led all NCAA Division II blockers with a 93.8 percent grade for blocking consistency and helped the Blazers win the NCAA Division II national championship.

The Panthers also waived/injured tight end Logan Brock and claimed linebacker Ryan Rau off waivers from Cleveland on Wednesday.

The Nationals opened the contest with a three goal run, capped by Kevin Crowley’s rip to the top corner 4:52 into the game. But Tim Fallon won the ensuing faceoff and streaked straight to the cage to get the Hounds on the board. The Nationals responded with back-to-back goals from Joe Walters and Jeremy Thompson to extend their lead to 5-1 with just under six minutes to play in the quarter. But Eric Lusby started to pull momentum in the Hounds’ favor, closing out the quarter with an outside goal to cut the Nationals lead to 5-2.

Brett Schmidt kept it rolling for the Hounds at the start of the second with a transition goal to pull the Hounds within two, 5-3. The Nationals responded with a goal from Stephen Keogh to push the lead back to three, 6-3, but it would be the last goal they would score for over 10 minutes as the Hounds put together a six-goal run. Jovan Miller got it started by scoring in transition, and that was followed by Shayne Jackson’s first career MLL goal to pull the Hounds within one, 6-5. Lusby tallied the game-tying goal, his second of the game, and Josh Amidon gave the Hounds their first lead, 7-6, off a rip from just inside the 2-point line. Miller scored his second of the game and Peet Poillon pushed the Hounds lead to three, 9-6, with 6:34 to play in the half. Roy Lang finally stopped the bleeding for the Nationals, scoring his second of the game on a jump shot. Keogh followed that up with his second of the game to make it a one goal contest, 9-8 in favor of the Hounds, heading in to the half.

Momentum stayed with the Nationals to start the third, as they racked up three more goals from Walters, Keogh and Crowley to regain an 11-9 advantage with 4:27 remaining in the quarter. Poillon stopped the run with his second of the game to get the Hounds back within one, 11-10, but Walters responded with his third of the game to close the quarter with the Nationals leading 12-10.

Fallon won the opening faceoff of the fourth quarter, which set up Hounds rookie Mike Sawyer for his first career MLL goal to the cut the Nationals’ lead to one, 12-11. But the Nationals scored another two straight, to push their advantage to 14-11 with 7:23 to play in the game. The Nationals got the ball back again, but Keogh was called offsides, giving the Hounds their first power-play opportunity of the day. Poillon took advantage of the man-up, ripping a 2-point goal to pull the Hounds back within one, 14-13. However Keogh made up for his mistake with his fourth goal of the game, to reclaim the two-goal lead for the Nationals, 15-13, with 4:22 left in the game. The Hounds rallied though, as Sawyer dished to Miller on the doorstep to cut the Nationals lead to one with 3:16 remaining in the game. Casey Cittadino then scored his first goal as a Hound to tie the game at 15. The Nationals got the ball back, but goalie Adam Ghitelman came up with a big save on Crowley to force overtime.

The Hounds’ momentum and the overtime period were short lived though, as Dolente won the opening faceoff for the Nationals and took it to the cage himself to seal the victory, 16-15. The Nationals improve to 3-0 on the season, while the Hounds fall to 1-3. The MLL is off Memorial Weekend, so the Hounds will be back in action again on May 31 when they travel to New York to face the Lizards (1-2) in a Friday night match up.

A defensive tackle from Purdue University, Short started all 50 games played for the Boilermakers from 2009-12. He ranks third in school history for the most tackles for loss (49) and sacks (19.5) by a defensive tackle and blocked a school-record eight kicks, including six field goals.

“We are very pleased to have Kawann under contract,” general manager Dave Gettleman said. “We felt he was the best pass-rushing defensive tackle in the draft, and we are excited about what he can bring to our defensive front.”

In his final season at Purdue in 2012, Short earned second-team All-America and first-team All-Big Ten Conference honors. He started all 13 games and led the Boilermakers for the second consecutive season with seven sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss.

The Bobcats had a 55.8 percent chance of receiving a top-three pick in tonight’s NBA Draft Lottery, with a 31.9 percent chance of getting the No. 4 pick

The 2012 NBA Draft will mark the second time in franchise history that the Bobcats have had the fourth selection in the draft.  In 2004, the team traded the fourth and 33^rd overall picks and agreed to select Predrag Drobnjak from the Los Angeles Clippers in the Charlotte Expansion Selection, in order to obtain the No. 2 pick from the Clippers, which was used to select Emeka Okafor.

Players selected with the fourth pick in recent years include multi-time All-Stars Russell Westbrook (Seattle, 2008), Chris Paul (New Orleans, 2005) and Chris Bosh (Toronto, 2003).

Over the past four NBA Drafts, the Bobcats used their first round lottery selections on guards Gerald Henderson (12^th overall, 2009) and Kemba Walker (ninth overall, 2011) and forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (second overall, 2012), while also trading for the draft rights to forward Bismack Biyombo (seventh overall, 2011). The Bobcats did not own a pick in 2010.

Bobcats Sports & Entertainment owns the Charlotte Bobcats and operates Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena.

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“This is a monumental moment for our organization,” Jordan said. “After undergoing an elaborate research process, we recognize that this is what our fans want.  We believe that making this change would not only re-establish one of the most recognized brands in sports but would also unify our fan base by bringing together our loyal Bobcats fans with those who have fond memories of our city’s NBA predecessor.  Our fans spoke and we listened.”

The historical significance of the Hornets moniker dates back to the American Revolution, when the city of Charlotte’s resistance led British General Charles Cornwallis to refer to the local militia members as “a veritable nest of hornets.”  The Charlotte Hornets name appears throughout the city’s sports history, having previously been used by a minor league baseball team from 1901-1973, a World Football League team in 1974 and 1975, and the city’s previous NBA team from 1988-2002.

Charlotte’s first major professional sports team, the NBA’s Hornets led the league in attendance during their inaugural season in 1988-89 and went on to do so seven straight times from 1990-91 to 1996-97, recording 364 consecutive sellouts from Dec. 23, 1988 through Nov. 21, 1997.

The application to change the name is the first step in a process that would lead to the team taking the floor as the Hornets starting with the 2014-15 season.  Pending approval from the Board of Governors, additional pieces of the process would include the selection of the team’s colors, designing of the team’s logo, uniforms and playing court, and a myriad of alterations at Time Warner Cable Arena, among others.

In order to allow fans to show their support for the return of the Hornets name to Charlotte, the organization has created a two-year ticket plan that includes both the 2013-14 season and the 2014-15 season when the Charlotte Hornets would take the floor for the first time in 12 years.  Tickets are available now by calling 704-688-8000 or visiting BackBuzzCity.com.

Bobcats Sports & Entertainment owns the Charlotte Bobcats and operates Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena.

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With Wells Fargo’s generous support, the Harvey B. Gantt Center will welcome Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. to Charlotte as the inaugural speaker for the 2013 Gantt Symposium. Dr. Gates’ “Finding Your Roots,” is a lively discussion about individual lineage and American history. He will address research and DNA analysis and will also share poignant family stories.

This lecture is an annual event hosted by the Center and its institution’s namesake, Harvey Bernard Gantt, to engage all Charlotte citizens in a conversation about important topics that are relevant to the community-at-large, moving us toward the city’s goal of building a better Charlotte. Dr. Gates’ presentation will be followed by a Q&A session facilitated by Harvey Gantt.

Following the symposium, guests are invited to attend a special opening preview of The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey during a reception with the Kinsey family at the Gantt Center. This is a special opportunity for symposium guests to view the collection with Bernard and Shirley Kinsey before it opens to the public on Saturday, June 29.

Below and attached you will find the league release announcing the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie Teams.

KIA NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR DAMIAN LILLARD HEADLINES 2012-13 NBA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

NEW YORK, May 14, 2013 – The Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard, the unanimous selection for the 2012-13 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, headlines the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced today.

Lillard was the lone unanimous First Team selection (58 points, 29 First Team votes), while the Washington Wizards’ Bradley Beal and the New Orleans Hornets’ Anthony Davis totaled 57 points each, including 28 First Team votes. Rounding out the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie First Team are Dion Waiters of the Cleveland Cavaliers (50 points, 21 First Team) and Harrison Barnes of the Golden State Warriors (47 points, 18 First Team).

The voting panel consisted of the NBA’s 30 head coaches, who were asked to select five players for the first team and five players for the second team, regardless of position. Coaches were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. Two points were awarded for first team votes and one for second team votes.

Lillard, the sixth overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft, made a clean sweep of the Kia NBA Rookie of the Month Award in the Western Conference this season. Among first-year players, Lillard ranked first in scoring (19.0 ppg), assists (6.5 apg) and minutes (38.6 mpg). According to NBA.com/Stats, the Trail Blazers had an offensive rating of 105.0 points (per 100 possessions) when Lillard was on the court compared with 93.5 points when he was on the bench.

For the season, Beal averaged 13.9 points to go along with 3.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. On the season, he recorded 13 games of 20-plus points and six games with a least four three-pointers made. The overall top selection in the 2012 NBA Draft, Davis excelled after the All-Star break, averaging 15.3 points on .520 shooting from the field and 9.3 rebounds. He posted 11 double-doubles. Overall, Davis averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds 1.8 blocks and, 1.2 steals in 64 games.

Sporting averages of 14.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals in 28.8 minutes per game, Waiters scored in double figures 45 times, including 14 games of 20 points or more. While his 81 regular-season starts ranked second among rookies, (Lillard, 82 games), Barnes helped the Warriors secure a playoff spot by averaging 9.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 25.8 mpg.

 The NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of the Detroit Pistons’ Andre Drummond (35 points, 10 First Team), the Toronto Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas (31 points, six First Team), the Charlotte Bobcats’ Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (29 points, three First Team), the Detroit Pistons’ Kyle Singler (17 points, one First Team), and the Cavaliers’ Tyler Zeller (15 points, three First Team).

Attached are the results of the balloting for the 2012-13 NBA All-Rookie teams. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.

2012-13 NBA ALL-ROOKIE FIRST TEAM

Player                                                               Team                         First (2 pt)           Second (1 Pt)     Total

Damian Lillard                                                Portland                   29                           -                              58

Bradley Beal                                                   Washington            28                           1                              57

Anthony Davis                                               New Orleans          28                           1                              57

Dion Waiters                                                  Cleveland                21                           8                              50

Harrison Barnes                                            Golden State         18                           11                           47

2012-13 NBA ALL-ROOKIE SECOND TEAM

Player                                                               Team                         First (2 pt)           Second (1 Pt)     Total

Andre Drummond                                       Detroit                      10                           15                           35

Jonas Valanciunas                                        Toronto                    6                              19                           31

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist                                Charlotte                 3                              23                           29

Kyle Singler                                                     Detroit                      1                              15                           17

Tyler Zeller                                                      Cleveland                3                              9                              15

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (first place votes in parentheses):

Maurice Harkless, Orlando, 14 (1); Alexey Shved, Minnesota, 14 (1); Chris Copeland, New York, 9 (1); Brian Roberts, New Orleans, 5; Andrew Nicholson, Orlando, 4; Jae Crowder, Dallas, 1; Festus Ezeli, Golden State, 1; Draymond Green, Golden State, 1; John Jenkins, Atlanta, 1; Terrence Jones, Houston, 1; Pablo Prigioni, New York, 1; Terrence Ross, Toronto, 1; Jeff Taylor, Charlotte, 1.