No. 14 seed Oakland’s 80-76 upset win over No. 3 Kentucky electrified the nation on Thursday night.
Fifth-year senior Jack Gohlke became an overnight sensation, scoring 32 points on 10 of 20 shooting — all from 3-point range — and 2 of 3 from the free-throw line.
Related: Wisconsin Badgers vs. James Madison Dukes: Preview and prediction for NCAA Tournament round of 64
The loss is yet another disappointment for John Calipari’s program. The Wildcats’ Sweet 16 drought has grown to five years, and the program has won only one NCAA Tournament game in that span.
The story of the night was Gohlke and the fun of a classic March Madness upset. But one sub-plot: Wisconsin’s potential Final Four path just grew a bit easier.
The Badgers start play Friday night against No. 12 James Madison. The winner advances to play No. 4 Duke. The potential Sweet 16 opponent, in all likelihood, is going to be No. 1 Houston.
That brings us to the other side of the South Region, where No. 2 Marquette is the highest-ranked team. The next-highest was Kentucky, which is eliminated.
This upset doesn’t have the impact a Houston loss would have. But with the No. 3 seed in the Badgers region is now eliminated, Greg Gard’s team now just has to navigate No. 12, No. 4, No. 2 and No. 1.
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