The Oakland Golden Grizzlies have pulled off the upset of the year by beating the Kentucky Wildcats in the opening round of the NCAA March Madness.
Such a massive upset called for a pure show of grit and high-level basketball. Oakland’s Jack Gohlke led his team with 10 three-pointers. However, he made sure to inform everybody that they were not a ‘Cinderella’ team.
Senior Jack Gohlke led his team with a staggering 10 3-point shots.
It's something I've worked so hard for my whole career. Coach just instills the confidence me, gives me the freedom to go out there and play and influence the game in a positive way. I'm just having fun. This is why players worked so hard to get to this stage. We're not a Cinderella. When asked after the game what he felt about the win, Gohlke said
The sixth-year player also mentioned that his team has the will to keep on winning. The head coach added that they have a chance in a lifetime to advance further in the tournament.
Gohlke mentioned during the post-game press conference that he is not expecting to go to the NBA. However, was glad to be able to beat a team that boasts several possible NBA draftees. It showed that determination to win can overcome talent.
The 6′ 3″ guard transferred to Oakland from Hillsdale College prior to the start of this season. Always a bench player, Gohlke averaged 12.8 points throughout the season. So, his narrative that it was all grit and a desire to win that led them to deal with this massive upset in Kentucky sounds true.
NCAA March Madness and its history of upsets
The NCAA March Madness is one of the most watched basketball tournaments due to the possibility of upsets handed to the top-ranking teams. Time and again, several underdog teams have managed to send surefire Elite Eight teams packing their bags.
The third biggest upset was again handed to Kentucky in 2022 when they lost to 15th-seed St. Peter’s behind elite shooting and a solid defense.
The second biggest upset was last year when 16th seed Fairleigh Dickinson beat the No. 1 ranked Purdue team. Purdue was a championship bet for many but lost to the shortest team in the country.
However, this game was upstaged by the first time a 16th seed beat a No. 1 seed in 2018. UMBC beat the tournament favorite Virginia Cavaliers to hand down the biggest upset in NCAA history.
The list of major upsets will get its newest entry after tonight’s final score. But Oakland and Jack Gohlke want to make sure this upset is not their last game in this tournament, and neither are they a Cinderella team.
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