The Bobcats continued to build their foundation on Wednesday in New York, selecting forward Adam Morrison with the third overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft.

“Adam is a clever and creative player who is a proven scorer. We are excited about adding him to the foundation we have built and improving our team,” Bobcats General Manager Bernie Bickerstaff said. “We really like the way Adam competes – he is one of the most competitive players I have seen – and that mentality fits in with the team we have. He has tremendous courage and the will to win.’’

Morrison was named Player of the Year by CBS this past season and earned Co-Player of the Year honors from NABC and USBWA. In leading Gonzaga to a top-five ranking during the season, he paced the nation with 28.1 points and set a school record with a total of 926 points. The 6-8 forward scored 30-plus points in 14 games and he topped the 40-point mark five times, including a career-best 44 points at Loyola Marymount.

The Spokane, Washington, native completed his three-year career at his hometown university with 1,867 points and he shot .503 from the field and .368 from three-point range. In 2004, he was a member of the gold-medal winning USA World Championship for Young Men Qualifying squad where he was a teammate of Bobcats forward Sean May.