I understand your premise, but the how’s and the why’s don’t matter. Carton will go where he thinks he has the best chance to become an NBA player, and for whatever reasons, that is not Iowa. I use Michigan just because that’s his other offer, but it’s not arguable that their program gets a lot of players drafted whether it’s because of development, recruiting advantage, or whatever. Doesn’t matter why or how, they just do. And likewise, for whatever reason you choose, Iowa does not. He’s even said twice that I’ve read and I’m sure more often, that he’s already got one and done on his mind. That’s just not us, and it won’t be in the future.
And no recruits with his kind of talent level go into a program worried that they’re going to get lost in the shuffle, they go there because they have tons of confidence and believe that they’ll stand out. That’s the kind of drive and determination that got them where they are.
Your example that it’s stupid to think Kentucky is good at producing NBA talent is understandable on the surface, but it’s just as stupid. Whether Kentucky produces that kind of talent or just recruits it is totally irrelevant. The only thing that matters is that they crank those kids out and the Iowas of the world don’t.