I am surprised more don't take this route. Why not make money and see another country while you are young. He can always wait a few years to see where logically the next step of his life should go.
The hockey model is usually a player playing juniors for 2 years before going to college. I understand Phil loses his college eligibility, but who says he has to play in college or even go to college. There is also a defined path for a player to play in the NBA from overseas.