In what might be the most shocking upset of this year’s March Madness, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies have defeated the Kentucky Wildcats in the tournament’s first round. Kentucky was one of the favorites to win the entire tournament, as they were led by two projected top 10 picks in the upcoming 2024 NBA draft class, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. Many brackets were already busted on the first day of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but this loss likely had the biggest effect. The game ended in an 80-76 victory for Oakland, with it being close to the final buzzer.
Gohlke Shines Out in Game
The game started with good defensive effort from both teams, as only two points were scored in the first three minutes. The action then started to pick up as Oakland was getting good shots from the midrange and the three. The Wildcats countered by finding open lanes to the basket.
Jack Gohlke got off to a hot start in the first half as he hit two straight threes to give Oakland some momentum. Offensively, the first half continued to be all Gohlke for the Golden Grizzlies, as he hit an unbelievable 7 threes and finished with 21 points to end the half.
This game started as one that would be career-defining for Gohlke, and it couldn’t have happened on a bigger stage.
As for Kentucky, Rob Dillingham and Antonio Reeves kept them in the game throughout the first, as they were putting up a close game being only down by 3 before the second half started.
Back and Forth Second Half
Similarly to the first, the second half kept the game tightly contested as both teams were finding good shots. Kentucky continued to find good shots in the paint with excellent play-making, and Oakland also started to find some good shots inside with forward Trey Townsend beginning to heat up. To counter, Tre Mitchell had a good second half for Kentucky, finding open lanes and getting good finishes.
Oakland took a small 7-point lead 12 minutes into the half, but Kentucky didn’t let the lead expand and continued to keep the game close. Finally, Reed Sheppard hit his first field goal late into the game to cut the Oakland lead down to 2, as Kentucky was down 62-64 with 6 minutes to go. However, Gohlke hit another clutch three-pointer in the game to once again bring the Golden Grizzlies up 5 entering crunch time.
Antonio Reeves continued to find good shots for himself and his teammates late into the game. With the game being 75-74 against Oakland, Rocket Watts found DQ Cole in the corner for a clutch three to bring Oakland up four with just 28 seconds remaining. Kentucky hit a layup with 5 seconds to go, however, it was too late for the Wildcats as by that point Oakland was already up by multiple possessions. The Golden Grizzlies defeated Kentucky 80-76, eliminating them from the NCAA tournament.
Career Making Game For Jack Gohlke
The biggest story in this game has to be the career-making performance put on by Oakland’s Jack Gohlke. Gohlke finished the game with a career-high 32 points and an astonishing 10 threes. Gohlke was one three short of tying the record for the most three-pointers made in an NCAA Tournament Game. Gohlke’s excellent play and great shot-creating by the entire Oakland team resulted in a shocking upset victory for the team, and it will certainly be interesting to see if they can make a run.
“I know they have draft picks, and I know I’m not going to the NBA…. but on any given I can compete with those type of guys”
Jack Gohlke’s confidence level is unmatched ? pic.twitter.com/SwAhBpSkyz
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2024
What’s Next For Kentucky’s Top Guys
Both Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard had poor performances in this game for Kentucky. This is not a good look for either of them in what was the biggest game of their lives. Dillingham had 10 points on an extremely poor 22% field goal, and a bad performance from three as well. Sheppard only hit one shot the entire game and had three fouls and two turnovers to add to that. Both players will likely take a hit in terms of their draft stock, especially Reed Sheppard. However, they should still be projected to both go top 10 in the upcoming draft. The March Madness tournament is the biggest chance scouts have to see how players perform in big-time moments, and these two underperformed.
About the Author
Shayan has always been an avid fan of sports. He is currently studying sports communication, as he is hoping to take his sports knowledge to the next level. He enjoys writing about combat sports such as boxing, MMA, and wrestling.
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