Born in London, England, he attended high school in Brooklyn, New York, later playing college basketball at Fairfield University in Connecticut. At Fairfield, he was a two-time First Team All-MAAC selection.Jeff Pearlman, "Chairman of the Boards", Sports Illustrated, March 6, 2000 As a senior, Phillip led the nation in rebounds per game (14.0 rpg), while tallying a nation-leading 24 double-doubles including 19 straight to end the season and posting a MAAC single game record 25 rebounds in the team's win over Marist College.Fairfield University :: Fairfield basketball player Darren Phillip signs two-year deal with Spanish team; Center joins one of Europe's top-tier teams As a freshman, Phillip was a starter on the Stags team which held a half time lead over the number 1 seed University of North Carolina Tar Heels before falling short in the 1997 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship tournament. Phillip received his bachelor's degree in communications from Fairfield University in 2000.
