Texas Tech General Manager Kellen Buffington joins Jacob Myers on the League Him Podcast for an in-depth conversation on his basketball journey, scouting philosophy, roster construction, and the evolving role of a college basketball GM.

The discussion covers the transfer portal, the evolving NIL landscape, NBA prospect greenlights, and why Texas Tech is rising as one of the premier programs in the Big 12 and across college basketball.

Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:25 – Buff's Basketball Journey
03:25 – Dallas Roots
05:30 – Scouting Service
06:00 – Truth-Telling
07:30 – Grassroots Basketball Survival Guide
10:25 – Your Circle is Your Ceiling
13:20 – Joining Texas Tech as GM & Grant McCasland Relationship
18:00 – What Does a GM Do in College Basketball?
20:45 – NBA Prospect Greenlights
25:20 – Superstar Qualities
26:00 – JT Toppin Breakdown
26:52 – Christian Anderson Breakdown
29:10 – Staff Collaboration
31:15 – Texas Tech's Elite 8 Run
33:00 – Transfer Portal Strategy
36:10 – Feel vs Instincts
37:30 – Family

Washington Wizards rookie point guard Bub Carrington breaks down his journey to the NBA – from growing up in Baltimore to his standout season at Pitt and being drafted in the Lottery. Now leading all NBA rookies in minutes and assists per game, Bub opens up about the factors driving his early success, his 'welcome to the NBA' moments, establishing a routine as a rookie, his first start against Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, plus much more.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:01 Bub's Journey to the League

4:45 It wasn't always "NBA, NBA, NBA" - Be Present!

6:12 Experience at Pitt

8:56 Finding Routine as Rookie

11:13 Biggest Adjustment to NBA

12:20 Vet Advice

13:57 Bub's Joy & Love for the Game

15:50 Coach Capel vs Coach Keefe

17:18 Underrated NBA Players

18:56 Welcome to the League Moment (s)

20:35 Pitt talk

22:50 Rookie Season Growth

23:50 Misconceptions About His Game Pre-Draft

27:14 Taking Pride in Basketball IQ

28:28 Advice to Younger Players / Recruitment Gems

30:00 First NBA Start vs Boston Celtics

32:13 NBA League Pass Junkie

33:46 "Master A Skill"

Phil Beckner joins Jacob Myers on League Him's In Due Time Podcast to unpack his unique journey. Phil, an NBA Player Development Coach and High-Performance Consultant, discusses his tremendous sacrifices to get his foot in the door as a college coach, meeting 17-year-old Damian Lillard, and how their relationship has evolved over 15 years.

He also shares his experience getting hired by Sam Presti and coaching alongside Mark Daigneault for the OKC Blue, building Be Better Be Different, Driven Basketball, and the Formula Zero Elite Camp alongside Damian Lillard.

We also dive into crucial topics in the NBA Draft space, discussing "Prospect Greenlights," what intel NBA GMs value most, and why it's never been easier to make the NBA, but never been harder to stay!

0:00 Intro1:30 Formula Zero w/ Damian Lillard6:15 Resilient Path into Coaching9:17 Volunteer DOBO at Weber State11:25 Sam Presti & OKC / Nebraska / Boise State12:00 "I Let the Profession Eat Me Alive"16:00 Kevin Durant Story23:30 NBA Pre-Draft Process & Intel32:00 Girls, Guns, Gambling34:30 NBA Prospect 'Greenlights'42:38 "Fluid Guys Get Better"46:05 Small Guard Survival Guide1:01:15 Tim Frazier Undrafted Success Story