"Norris Cole already has had a Miami moment, even if it only had a few thousand witnesses.

That moment came in 2009, in AmericanAirlines Arena, in front of one of the sparse crowds that marked the first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games contested there over two March days. Then, Cole was a sophomore guard for heavy underdog Cleveland State, scoring 22 points to help upset a highly touted Wake Forest team featuring two future NBA first-rounders, Jeff Teague and Al-Farouq Aminu.

Now, Cole is a first-rounder himself, after the Heat traded up to the 28th spot to take him Thursday night in the NBA Draft.

The draft spot originally belonged to Miami, and it was included in the sign-and-trade package sent to Toronto last summer. It then changed hands two more times - to Chicago and Minnesota - before the Timberwolves turned it back to the Heat for the 31st pick and cash. Cole was the seventh projected point guard taken, after Kyrie Irving, Brandon Knight, Kemba Walker, Jimmer Fredette, Nolan Smith and Reggie Jackson, and Miami chose him rather than Charles Jenkins, Shelvin Mack and Josh Selby.

Cole watched the draft with about 80 friends and family in Dayton.

"I'm feeling really good," he told the Dayton Daily News. "I wanted to play for a contending team, and they're definitely a contender.""