For a guy who is ultimately going to run the 5k or 10k as Smith describes little can be gained from the "tactics" of collegiate 800's and their rounds. I'm not a huge proponent of running collegiately to gain "racing knowledge". Running collegiate races is not going to better prepare one for the rigors of international competition unless the athlete is clearly not ready for the international scene yet. No, German is not ready for international competition yet but the idea that running 3:39 1500's off of more evenly paced races will improve one's ability to step into international races and run 3:33 is flawed.
To be able to make the ultimate jump towards international success the training load increase, adaptation period, and eventual participation in international races are the primary factors that make the runner. Look at Evan Jager. Yes, it was a gamble for him to go pro and could have been a costly mistake. However, he has taken his training to another level unthinkable in the college setting and has gained invaluable experience in Europe racing the world's best.
To conclude, the idea that learning to run the rounds of the 800 at the collegiate level will pay dividends for the future is absurd (especially for a 5k type).