What is the best result in Oakland’s history in March Madness?
Oakland University pulled off a massive upset in the NCAA Tournament by beating Kentucky, but insist that they are not a Cinderella story.
Day one of the 2024 March Madness tournament saw several upsets, but without doubt the biggest was in the South region where 14th ranked Oakland upset number three Kentucky 80-76, ending a 13-year NCAA tournament drought with their first tournament win in program history.
In the annals of March Madness lore, the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies have etched a memorable chapter. While not a perennial powerhouse, the men’s basketball team from the small Rochester, Michigan-based institution has left its mark on the NCAA Tournament, albeit in fleeting glimpses of glory. Among their notable moments stands the 2005 season, a watershed year in Oakland’s athletic history.
Only competing in Division I since 1997, Oakland made their first appearance on college basketball’s grandest stage that year, where they faced off against the storied North Carolina Tar Heels in the tournament’s opening round.
"We're not a Cinderella"
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2024
Jack Gohlke and Greg Kampe react to Oakland's stunning upset over Kentucky 🐻#MarchMadness @OaklandMBB pic.twitter.com/KOC103aPWt
Losing in a 96-68 blowout, the 16th ranked Golden Grizzlies rebuilt and came back in 2010, where they were seeded 14. That year, they faced Pittsburgh and lost 89-66. The following year, 2011, Oakland were back and seeded 13, when they lost a heart-breaker to Texas 85-81.
And now they have won their first ever NCAA Tournament game, with an upset that sees the Golden Grizzlies advance to face NC State.
The standout in the win over Kentucky was graduate transfer Jack Gohlke. The Pewaukee, Wisconsin, native lit up the score board with 32 points off the bench, which included 20 field goals from three-point range. On the night, he was 10-for-20, falling one short of the NCAA Tournament record of 11 three-pointers set by Loyola Marymount’s Jeff Fryer back in 1990.
“It’s something that I’ve worked so hard for my whole career,” said Gohlke. “It’s a dream. This is why players work so hard to get to this stage.”
Oakland coach Greg Kampe added, “This is not the end of it. We’ve got more and the only way we’re going to win Saturday is to stay focused and take it one at a time.”
“We’re not a Cinderella,” chimed in Gohlke.
The indomitable spirit exhibited by the Golden Grizzlies serves as a testament to the enduring allure of collegiate athletics. In a landscape often dominated by perennial contenders, Oakland’s underdog tale stands as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of March Madness and the potential for triumph in the face of adversity.
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