LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Ryan Conwell never seemed to be in much of a hurry.
Not in the way college basketball measures such things, anyway.
He wasn't a one-and-done prodigy. He didn't spend years projected as a lottery pick. His college journey took him from South Florida to Indiana State to Xavier before finally arriving at Louisville for one last season.
Wednesday night, the journey arrived exactly where he always hoped it would.
The Miami Heat selected Conwell with the 37th overall pick in the NBA Draft, even trading up four spots to make sure they got him.
"You checked all the boxes for us at that spot," Heat president Pat Riley told Conwell over the phone moments after the selection. "We're really happy that we could pick you and can't wait to get you down here."
If there is a sentence that sums up Ryan Conwell's basketball career, that might be it.
He checked the boxes.
Every one of them.
Louisville fans knew about the shooting. Nearly 17 points a game. Three-pointers from every angle. Big shots in big moments.
What they came to appreciate just as much was everything else.
The competitiveness. The consistency. The willingness to defend. The professionalism that made him feel like more than a one-year rental.
Louisville has always appreciated stars. It may appreciate workers even more.
Those qualities, it turned out, were exactly what Miami saw.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra didn't begin his congratulatory phone call by talking about Conwell's jumper. Instead, he talked about the person.
"Got a great text from Coach (Pat) Kelsey about you," Spoelstra said. "Your toughness, your coachability, your leadership, all that stuff. That really speaks to your character and what you're all about."
That's a remarkable endorsement from one of the NBA's model organizations.
The Heat have built a reputation on identifying players who fit their culture as much as their roster. Talent matters. So does everything else.
Conwell, Louisville fans can attest, brought both.
Then Heat assistant general manager Adam Simon revealed something even more telling.
Miami had given Conwell a first-round grade.
When he was still available in the second round, the Heat didn't wait to see if he would slide four more spots. They paid to go get him.
"When you hear things about a player, about a competitiveness, about being a great teammate, about being a worker, about being a pro, about having no bad days, all those things mean a lot to us," Simon said. "Certainly the shooting and the athleticism. It all checks out for us."
Once more, the message was the same.
Ryan Conwell checked every box. Conwell believed his pre-draft workout in Miami had gone well.
"I was pretty confident," he said. "I had a great workout and showed my skill set at a high level. It was just a great competitive workout and I think I put my best foot forward."
He did that at Louisville, too.
There are players fans remember because they stayed for four years. Others because they became All-Americans. Others because they were lottery picks.
Conwell was only here for one season. Yet it never felt that way. He played with an edge Louisville fans admired. He carried himself like the veteran he was. When games tightened, the ball found him because teammates trusted him.
"I'll be forever grateful for the Miami Heat," Conwell said. "It's a day I'll never forget."
The Cardinals have produced plenty of NBA players over the years. Some arrived with enormous expectations. Others left with unforgettable accomplishments.
Ryan Conwell's path was different. He took the long way.
Wednesday night, the Miami Heat decided it had led him exactly where he belonged.
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