One of Kentucky’s 1978 ‘Twin Towers,’ Mike Phillips, dies
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MADISONVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Mike Phillips, a standout basketball player at the University of Kentucky in the 1970s, has died in western Kentucky. He was 59.
Barnett-Strother Funeral Home on Monday confirmed Philips’ death. The Hopkins County coroner’s office is investigating the cause of death but told WFIE-TV that Phillips died after a fall Saturday at his home in Madisonville. The funeral home lists the date of death as Saturday.
Phillips and Rick Robey were known as the “Twin Towers” on the 1978 championship team that went 30-2 and beat Duke in the NCAA final. The Courier-Journal reported Phillips was an Ohio native who averaged more than 10 points a game during the season and finished 25th on UK’s all-time scoring list.
Former coach Joe B. Hall told the Lexington Herald-Leader that Phillips was courageous and a “gentle giant.”