March Madness always does a great job of turning unknowns into overnight sensations. The latest example? Jack Gohlke of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
Behind Gohlke’s incredible outside shooting, the No. 14 Golden Grizzlies managed to defy the odds and stun the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats Thursday night during the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies March Madness Hero Jack Gohlke Fires Warning After Win Over Kentucky
Oakland head coach Greg Kampe and Gohlke were interviewed on the floor just after the game, with Goehlke dropping the mic.
“We’re not a Cinderella,” the 25-year-old graduate transfer said.
Gohlke put on a show against the Wildcats, one that will simply not be forgotten anytime soon. It will be talked about for years and decades to come.
Gohlke came off the bench for the Oakland Grizzlies and went nuclear from deep. He too all of his attempts from the field from the 3-point area and drained 10 of them. Kentucky had no solution for Gohlke, who played four years with Division II program Hillside before transferring to Oakland.
“Obviously, we come in with the underdog by all measures, but as a player, you can’t think that way. You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to think that you have the same talent level as them, Gohlke said during the postgame press conference.
“I know they have draft picks and I know I’m not going to the NBA but I know on any given night, I can compete with those type of guys and our team can compete with those type of guys and that’s why I was so confident going into it and that’s why I say we’re not a Cinderella because when we play our A-game we can be the best team on the floor.”
The Golden Grizzlies had not been to the NCAA Tournament for 12 consecutive years before Thursday. Oakland also only got a ticket to the Big Dance when they topped the Horizon League Tournament. Otherwise, Gohlke and the Golden Grizzlies would have been following the NCAA Tournament on the TV. Jack Gohlke entered the Kentucky game averaging 12.8 points per game with a 37.8 percent success rate on shots taken from behind the arc.
What’s Next For Jack Gohlke And Oakland?
The Golden Grizzlies will look to pull off another stunner this Saturday when they take on the No. 11 NC State Wolfpack, who also scored an upset on Friday. The Wolfpack defeated the No. 6 Texas Tech Red Raiders, 80-67, and will be a different kind of problem for Gohlke and company.
Oakland is hoping that Gohlke will still have that kind of shooting touch when it faces off against NC State. The Golden Grizzlies are going to need their shooting to spread the floor versus the Wolfpack’s defense that limited the Texas Raiders to only 38.7 percent shooting from the floor.
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