At the end of the post-game interview with CBS Sports, guard – and new national 3-point shooting sensation – Jack Gohlke hit his final shot:
“We’re not a Cinderalla.”
Standing next to Gohlke, long-time coach Greg Kampe raised his eyebrows after hearing the comment and walked away with a grin.
OK, so meet the new men’s college basketball blue bloods from Rochester, Mich: the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.
The Horizon League champions utilized long-range shooting to upset the No. 3-seeded Kentucky Wildcats, 80-76, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
It was the Golden Grizzlies’ second tourney win in program history and first since a play-in victory in 2005. Oakland will experience its first Round of 32 matchup on Saturday versus N.C. State.
“We’re going to enjoy about 45 minutes of this and then we are going to get ready,” said Kampe, who has coached Oakland since 1984. “We have a chance of lifetime. This isn’t the end of it.
We’re got more and the only way we’re going to win is to stay focused. We’re going to do that.”
X (Twitter) users reacted Thursday night to Gohlke hitting 10 3-pointers and teammate DQ Cole hitting a corner triple with 28 seconds left to seal the “March memory of a lifetime.” Players and fans from different regions turned their attention to the brewing upset …
Very weird situation here in Salt Lake lol. With Gonzaga up by 30, the attention of the Delta Center has turned to the upset brewing in Oakland vs. Kentucky. The players must be so confused when cheers erupted during the middle of a play on the court pic.twitter.com/nnbtzh6K2e
— Caleb Turner (@calebturner23) March 22, 2024
Did Kentucky realize No. 14-seed Oakland would not be a first-round pushover? …
No. 3 Kentucky’s starting lineup vs No. 14 Oakland:
– DJ Wagner
– Antonio Reeves
– Justin Edwards
– Tre Mitchell
– Ugonna Onyenso pic.twitter.com/nveDHN8Ae3— KSR (@KSRonX) March 21, 2024
Not a Cinderella? Gohlke, a graduate transfer taking advantage of his COVID-19 waiver, is experiencing a storybook ending to his six-year career …
Jack Gohlke spent the last 5 years at D-II Hillsdale College in Michigan. In his RS Senior year, his season-high in points was 31 vs. Ashland.
This season, he joined D-I Oakland as a grad student. And he just scored a season-high 32 points to beat Kentucky. #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/RDDwtSUM2p
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) March 22, 2024
On Saturday, Gohlke hit 10 of 20 3-point attempts and finished with 32 points. His lone rebound came on Kentucky’s final missed shot and he dribbled out the clock …
Sixth-year senior Jack Gohlke with an INSANE night:
🔸 10 THREES (2nd most in tournament history)
🔸 Upset W vs Kentucky
🔸 Finished with 32 PTS, 1 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK – straight buckets only
🔸 ALL 20 FGA were from downtown
🔸 Got Oakland their first-ever win in the… pic.twitter.com/WBoSVjsqvQ— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) March 22, 2024
The Golden Grizzlies, who entered the matchup as 13.5-point underdogs, led for the final 14:32. Kentucky coach John Calipari has not guided the Wildcats, who are the second-winningest program in NCAA history, out of the tournament’s opening weekend since 2019 …
John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats in their last 4 March Madness appearances 😬
2021: Missed tournament
2022: Lost in Round of 64 vs. Saint Peter’s
2023: Lost in Round of 32 vs. Kansas State
2024: Lost in Round of 64 vs. Oakland pic.twitter.com/lMf54CdQ6d— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 22, 2024
Games like this make the NCAA tournament must-see TV …
Kentucky vs Oakland pic.twitter.com/1idsbJ51Hy
— Dylan🔮🪼☃️ (@dillybar2145) March 22, 2024
Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard could be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He didnt’ play like Saturday, scoring his first basket with about six minutes left in the second half. He finished with three points on 1-for-5 shooting in 26 minutes …
If I’m Reed Shepard I’ve got to come back to UK..
— Dan Dakich (@dandakich) March 22, 2024
Gohlke has attempted 335 shots this season. All but eight came from beyond the arc. The , the Horizon League’s Sixth Man of the Year award winner has compiled an NCAA-leading 131 made treys this season. Of course, his uniform number is 3 …
Oakland vs Kentucky
Snug.
8 minutes to go.
CBS. pic.twitter.com/NPLabg4Jx5— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) March 22, 2024
Oakland earned the program’s 14th Power Five win …
Oakland (+575 ML) is having fun early vs Kentucky
— Barstool Gambling (@stoolgambling) March 21, 2024
Kampe was asked how Oakland earned the upset. He motioned toward Gohlke: “This guy right here. He had no conscious. Just shoot it, baby. He’s the best. He proved it to the world tonight. We wanted Kentucky because they’re the best. We wanted this stage and the kids came through. When you have great kids with great character, that’s how you win close games.” …
Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis used to say, “Just win, baby.” Oakland basketball coach Greg Kempe told his 3-point ace Thursday night, “Just shoot it, baby.” And Kentucky went down, and went down HARD again:https://t.co/chG2U5kJ2x
— Glenn Guilbeau (@SportBeatTweet) March 22, 2024
The Golden Grizzlies became the 23rd 14 seed to earn a first-round win since the tourney expanded to 64 teams in 1985. Gohlke spoke of squad’s unity: “From the first day we got here in June, we just bonded. It’s a dream.” For others with broken brackets, it’s a different feeling, for sure …
“Kentucky got upset, my bracket is busted”
Jack Gohlke and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies: pic.twitter.com/O3OT1iqQlo
— Dylan Holt (@DylanHolt_) March 22, 2024
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