Louisville basketball fans saw the Cardinals have multiple former players drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft earlier this week, as Mikel Brown Jr. and Ryan Conwell each went in the first two rounds. Brown, of course, was the first of the two to go, as the former 5-star point guard went No. 6 overall to the Brooklyn Nets.
Ryan Conwell lands perfect NBA destination after blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade
With Brown going in the top six, he is the first Cardinal selected in the first round since 2017, the first Cardinal selected in the top 10 since 1996, and the first Cardinal drafted in the first six overall picks since 1990. As for Conwell, he went to the Miami Heat after the Thunder traded the No. 37 overall pick.
Conwell is getting a lot of high praise from analysts, who see him as the perfect fit for Miami, and recently, former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague and his podcast Club 520 gave him even more praise, underscoring just how high his ceiling can be.
Jeff Teague sees a big year from Ryan Conwell
The Heat recently traded for two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, pairing the NBA champion with NBA All-Star center Bam Adebayo. With the Heat having maybe the best frontcourt in basketball, the Heat drafting Conwell makes perfect sense, and Teague and company believe he is poised to have a major impact and maybe even start.
"He's gonna low-key be a starter," stated Teague about Conwell in a recent podcast. "He can shoot the ball, and he can guard."
Club 520 showing a lot of love to Ryan Conwell here 🔥 pic.twitter.com/mNVqeLDEbK
— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) June 25, 2026
With the Heat losing Tyler Herro and a lot of depth, the Heat desperately needed someone who could shoot the ball in multiple ways. Well, Club 520 made it clear they are confident that Conwell can step up and fill in glaring holes.
The former Cardinal is coming off an All-ACC season in which he averaged 18.8 points and 3.3 3-pointers per game. He made a team high 112 3's on the year, and 347 3's in his college career.
Isaac Trotter reported that Conwell is one of the few to make at least 99 3-pointers in three straight college seasons, along with Steph Curry and JJ Reddick. Before Conwell's season with Louisville, he played for Xavier, where he made 99 3's on 41.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and in his sophomore year with Indiana State, he made 109 3's on 40.7 percent from the 3-point line.
Conwell is poised to have an immediate impact on the Heat off the bench, being that elite sharpshooter from beyond the arc. Former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague made it sound like he thinks Conwell is poised to be a future starter, and while it is unlikely this year with the Heat having Norm Powell, it wouldn't be surprising if Conwell emerges as a starter later in his career in Erik Spoelstra's system.
Also read: One eye-popping stat shows why Ryan Conwell is a perfect fit next to Giannis Antetokounmpo
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
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