Early NCAA Tournament standout Jack Gohlke is the first made man of March Madness 2024.
The Oakland University guard is enjoying a meteoric rise after an out-of-body experience to lead the No. 14 seed Golden Grizzlies over the No. 3 seed Kentucky in an opening night 80-76 stunner.
Gohlke had 32 points and drilled 10 threes in the effort, and following the big night, he was verified on Instagram almost immediately, going from around 500 followers to now over 17,000 followers on the social media app as of early Friday afternoon.
Golden Grizzlies guard Jack Gohlke (3) jump to score a three pointer. Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Gohlke, who is a redshirt senior at Oakland — which is located in Rochester, Minnesota and won the Horizon League Conference this season — is a transfer from Division II Hillsdale College in Minnesota, where he redshirted as a freshman in 2018-2019 and played from 2019-2023.
In 2021-22, Hillsdale reached the Division II Elite Eight for the first time ever. Gohlke was a first-team All-Conference selection in his senior campaign in 2022-23 averaging a team-best 14.2 points per game, along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest, while shooting 40 percent from three.
For Oakland this season, he is averaging 12.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game and has shot 38 percent from three on 10 attempts per game.
Against Kentucky, Gohlke got hot from deep with largely difficult, off-balance shots from well beyond the perimeter, often guarded tightly by Kentucky defenders.
Jack Gohlke hit 10 threes to lead a stunning Oakland win over Kentucky. AP
The win gives the Grizzlies their first NCAA Tournament victory since they defeated Alabama A&M in 2005, which was an opening round Play-In game.
The Grizzlies, who were a Division II program until 1999, are in the D1 Round of 32 for the first time ever.
The loss also gives Kentucky their second first-round loss in three tournaments.
Jack Gohlke shoots a 3-pointer over Kentucky’s Rob Dillingham. AP
Two seasons ago, they famously lost to Saint Peter’s — a No. 15 seed — in the opening round of the tournament.
Kentucky hasn’t been beyond Round 2 since the 2018-19 season.