<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Get The Picture]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://blutarsky.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Senator Blutarsky]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/author/blutarsky/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Nobody knows you in North&nbsp;Dakota.]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>It didn&#8217;t occur to me when I read <a href="https://blutarsky.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/theres-no-reason-for-the-ncaa-to-exist-none/" target="_blank">Mark Cuban&#8217;s comments</a> about how the D-League is a much more super awesome place than college for 18-year olds to hone their skills/cool their jets until they&#8217;re eligible for the draft, but <a href="http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/03/catching_up_with_ronald_nored.html#incart_river" target="_blank">here&#8217;s a reason</a> kids might not fall all over themselves to chase Cuban&#8217;s dream:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I think the thing with playing college basketball, especially the players that are good enough to play at high-level schools, they get so much exposure (in college),&#8221; Nored said. &#8220;Think about how much talk there has been of the freshman focus in college basketball this season. You&#8217;re probably not going to get that talk in the D-League because you&#8217;re just playing on YouTube every day.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Now there&#8217;s no reason the NBA couldn&#8217;t choose to promote players in the D-League to a greater degree&#8230; except (1) that costs money (and why spend it when the colleges will do it gratis?) and (2) to the extent that promotion is successful, it&#8217;s going to pump up the market value of certain players.</p>
<p>Anyway, interesting point.</p>
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