Born in San Francisco, California, the 6'7" (201 cm) tall Philips was a standout power forward for the Pepperdine University Waves, sharing the 1983 West Coast Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year award with Waves teammate Dane Suttle.

He was selected as the 69th pick in Round 3 of the 1983 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Lakers, but he never made their roster.

According to 36ers player Scott Ninnis, this proved to be false after his teammates saw him drunk at a bar, a woman under each arm and a cigar hanging out of his mouth, all within a week of his arrival in Adelaide.

Al Green recalled during the 36ers "The Golden Era" DVD that this helped Phillips fit in very well with the team off the court.

Despite a slow start to the season, he improved in the second half of the year and went on to average 20.5 points @ 62.6%, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block and 1.2 steals in 31 minutes per game.