Hansbrough and Lighty are seniors so they had no choice but the trend should make future collegians lean to staying another year in school rather than coming out early since NBA scouts and general managers seem to place a higher value on the raw international players, who may be three to four years from making the roster.

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O'Driscoll, a product of Blackrock College, made his international debut as a raw 20-year-old against Australia in Brisbane in 1999.

BBC: Ireland rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll reaches 100 caps

Caterpillar, for example, bought mining equipment firm Bucyrus International this week largely to take advantage of growing emerging market demand for raw materials.

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But it's vital that any prioritization of agriculture is not at the expense of the trade in raw materials, according to Ousmane Badiane, Africa director for the International Food Policy Research Institute.

CNN: Study: Africa can feed itself in a generation

The first worry is about direct competition for things that are in more or less fixed supply: geopolitical supremacy, the world's oil and raw materials, the status and perks that come with being the issuer of a trusted international currency.

ECONOMIST: A game of catch-up