Kentucky has developed a maddening behavior of constructing opposing gamers into NCAA match folks heroes.
Two years in the past, it was Doug Edert, Saint Peter’s mustachioed sixth man.
Final yr, it was Markquis Nowell, Kansas State’s 5-foot-8 Mr. New York Metropolis.
On Thursday evening, it was Jack Gohlke, an Oakland sharpshooter with the greenest of inexperienced lights.
Gohlke added to Kentucky’s latest March distress, scoring a game-high 32 factors on a barrage of catch-and-shoot 3-pointers to gas 14th-seeded Oakland’s beautiful 80-76 upset of the closely favored Wildcats. The ten 3-pointers that Gohlke hit have been one in need of the single-game all-time NCAA match file, set in 1990 by LMU’s Jeff Fryer.
Not that he was happy afterward …
“I am all the time mad if I miss one, even when I used to be 10 of 11,” Gohlke informed reporters afterward.
A couple of minutes later, Gohlke admitted, “I used to be actually telling [teammate Trey Towsend] as we have been strolling in right here I ought to have made 13.”
Seven of Gohlke’s threes got here within the first half as Horizon League champ Oakland constructed a 38-35 lead. Followers in Pittsburgh have been so awestruck by the grad switch from Division II Hillsdale School that an audible gasp might be heard every time Gohlke rose to shoot.
Within the second half, with Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves and Reed Sheppard staying glued to him 5 toes behind the 3-point arc and chasing him round off-ball screens, Gohlke nonetheless linked on three extra 3-pointers. His solely factors on something moreover a 3-pointer have been two free throws after Sheppard barreled into him whereas he was making an attempt a top-of-the-key jumper with 3:33 remaining.
Gohlke’s capturing show propelled Oakland to its first spherical of 64 NCAA match victory for the reason that program entered Division I in 1997. The Golden Grizzlies on Saturday will try and develop into simply the third No. 14 seed to succeed in the Candy 16, not that they are embracing the Cinderella label.
“Clearly, we are the underdog by all measures, however as a participant, you possibly can’t suppose that means,” Gohlke mentioned. “You gotta go on the market and suppose you have got the identical expertise degree as them. I do know they’ve draft picks and I do know I am not going to the NBA, however I do know on any given evening I can compete with these guys and our workforce can.”
It’s no shock to anybody who has watched Oakland this season that every one 20 of Gohlke’s photographs towards Kentucky got here from behind the arc. All however eight of the 6-foot-3 guard’s 335 subject aim makes an attempt through the common season have been additionally 3-pointers. Gohlke has hit 37% of these makes an attempt from behind the arc.
A one-dimensional strategy like that’s exceedingly uncommon throughout school basketball, but it surely’s removed from unprecedented at Oakland. Longtime coach Greg Kampe’s system calls for a catch-and-shoot specialist with the arrogance to fireplace away when given even an inch of area.
All 257 of Oakland sharpshooter Max Hooper’s photographs got here from behind the arc through the 2015-16 season. Most of Trevor Bader’s makes an attempt have been 3s as nicely throughout his illustrious Oakland profession from 2010-14.
The best way Kampe sees it, the presence of an elite shooter removes a defender from the ground and permits his offense virtually to function 4-on-4. If Gohlke’s man stays glued to him behind the 3-point arc, it creates extra space for others to assault the rim off the dribble or rating within the submit. If Gohlke’s man helps elsewhere or lags behind chasing him off screens, he is leaving a deadly 3-point shooter free.
That undoubtedly helped Oakland all through Thursday’s second half when Kentucky principally performed a box-and-one on Gohlke. The Wildcats paid a lot consideration to Gohlke that Trey Townsend and DQ Cole have been additionally in a position to get going.
Within the second half, TV cameras panned to an exhausted Gohlke chugging cups of water and getting his legs massaged with a Theragun throughout timeouts. He expended a ton of effort operating round screens and searching photographs.
Requested after Thursday’s victory if he’d had time to verify his telephone, Gohlke informed reporters he often leaves his telephone off for awhile after video games to “soak within the second.”
“I will most likely verify it in a pair hours,” he mentioned.
The face of March Insanity is not nervous about his newfound fame.
“Actually all I am occupied with is tomorrow, our prep for both NC State or Texas Tech,” he mentioned. “We’ll go on the market and we will win once more.”