DETROIT (6/8/2016) -- The University of Detroit Mercy men's basketball team added some European flavor and size to its roster as head coach Bacari Alexander '99 announced the signing of Malik Eichler (Berlin, Germany/MacDuffie Prep (MA) to a National Letter of Intent.
 
Originally from Berlin, Germany, he spent time in Spain before coming to the United States. He is a 7-0, 233-lb forward making him just the fifth seven-footer in school history and the first since 7-3 Jason Bennett in 2008-09.
 
"We are very excited to add such versatility to our front court with Malik," said coach Alexander. "He is a high IQ player who has the skill and versatility to become a force in the Horizon League over time. At seven-foot, he provides a player who is agile enough to play both the four and five positions, and his upside is exciting for us!"
 
Eichler just finished his high school career at The MacDuffie School in Granby, Massachusetts, a program that competes in the highly skilled New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC).  He was part of a program that featured three players earning Division I basketball scholarships. He was also listed as the 19th ranked recruit in the state of Massachusetts as well as No. 81 in the New England class of 2016 by the New England Scouting Report.
 
Eichler was just named to a competitive pool of 22 players to represent Great Britain at the U20 European Championship Division B in Greece later this summer.
 
Prior to arriving in the United States, he played junior basketball with Alba Berlin (2 years) and Real Madrid (1 year) and in the men's amateur league with Baloncesto Sevilla (2 years). He was just 14 years old when he made the 16U Alba Berlin squad and the U15 German National Team.
 
He moved to Spain and was part of Real Madrid's Cadat A Team and quickly became the starting center. With Baloncesto Sevilla, he helped the team to a Nike International Junior Tournament title in Rome in 2013 – one of the biggest European basketball tournaments - a third-place finish in the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in L'Hospitalet in Spain in 2015 and fourth-place efforts in the Spanish Championship in both 2014 and 2015.
 
Eichler – who is fluent in three languages (English, German, Spanish) – comes from an athletic family as two of his cousins currently play professional soccer in Europe in Joel Matip (Liverpool FC) and Marvin Matip (FC Ingolstadt).
 
He is the fifth player to sign with the Titans this spring joining fellow freshmen Corey Allen (Ypsilanti, Mich. / Ypsilanti) and Cole Long (Orangeville, Ont./Athletic Institute Basketball Academy) as well as junior college transfers Dre Black (Westland, Mich./John Glenn/ Schoolcraft College) and Isaiah Jones (Antelope, Calif. / Center / Mt. San Jacinto College).
 
Detroit Mercy will host its sixth athletic luncheon of the 2015-16 season on Wednesday, June 15, under the Pavilion at the James K. Campbell Complex, located behind Calihan Hall.
 
The luncheon will start at Noon and is free, however if interested in attending, participants need to RSVP by Monday, June 13. To RSVP for the event, click here or contact Director of Marketing & Promotions Jeremiah Hergott at (313) 993-1700 ext. 7330 or via email at hergotjw@udmercy.edu.