Tag: oakland basketball

Jack Gohlke’s Oakland teammates teased him with State Farm jingle after post suggested he’s destined to sell insurance

Like a good 3-point shooter, Jack Gohlke is there.

Oakland basketball has been one of the best stories of the 2024 men’s NCAA tournament so far, with guard Jack Golhe the breakout star for the Golden Grizzlies.

The 3-point maestro has already landed an NIL deal with TurboTax after his stellar performance against Kentucky on Thursday night, one that the graduate student standout emphasized is not a Cinderella story and much more a team being deserving of where they are in the postseason.

Oakland coach Greg Kampe said in a broadcast interview on Saturday that, during a team meal, Gohlke’s teammates poked fun at him for an alleged social media post that insinuated that, despite the team’s upset win, Kentucky’s players were headed to the NBA and Gohlke was headed to selling insurance.

How did they do it? According to Kampe, they sang him the “Like a good neighbor…” State Farm jingle from the commercials, which made Gohlke smirk and shake his head once his coach referenced it.

Gohlke’s outstanding March Madness debut no doubt caught the eyes of some NBA scouts, so we wouldn’t be shocked if he at least got an invite to participate in a rookie camp after shocking the world against real NBA draft prospects.

Even if this is the conclusion to his basketball career, he’ll live eternal in tournament history for helping Oakland achieve one of the tournament’s great upsets.

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Oakland star Jack Gohlke hit a ridiculous full-court shot during March Madness practice

Jack Gohlke isn’t done hitting absurd shots from long range.

Oakland Golden Grizzlies star guard Jack Gohlke became a household name overnight.

Gohlke’s 32 points on 10 of 20 shooting (all threes) led 14-seeded Oakland to the biggest upset of the tournament so far against coach John Calipari’s three-seeded Kentucky Wildcats and the sharpshooter isn’t done showing off his skills yet.

He’s no stranger to hitting long balls, as only eight of his field goals made this season came from within two-point range, and while practicing on Friday ahead of Saturday’s second-round game against N.C. State, Gohlke demonstrated his range to an impressive extent.

Standing near the far baseline, he netted what was essentially a full-court heave as his teammates watched in awe.

The graduate student from Pewaukee, Wisconsin, spent the first five years of his career at Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan before joining Oakland for his final season of eligibility.

The 24-year-old said after the upset that he knows he won’t be playing in the NBA, but with the stunning win over Kentucky — which marked the Golden Grizzlies’ first in the round of 64 in program history — Gohlke’s collegiate career extends for at least a few more days.

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Jack Gohlke made a defiant Cinderella statement after Oakland’s upset of Kentucky

Jack Gohlke doesn’t think Oakland is a Cinderella team in the slightest.

After obliterating Kentucky from the arc, sensational Oakland guard Jack Gohlke told the country that he doesn’t think his Golden Grizzlies are a Cinderella team in the slightest.

The Horizon League champions stunned three-seeded Kentucky on Thursday in an 80-76 upset victory in the opening round of the 2024 men’s NCAA tournament.

The Golden Grizzlies were led by Gohlke’s 32 points. The sharpshooter scored 30 of those points from 3-pointers, making his March Madness debut all the more staggering.

In a postgame interview, Gohlke pushed against the idea that Oakland is a Cinderella team, doubling down on the notion that the 14 seed deserves to be looked at in the same light as a traditional powerhouse like Kentucky.

After Thursday’s mind-blowing performance, we’re inclined to agree.

Now that’s the kind of major statement that makes a team like Oakland a fan favorite in the tournament, as the Golden Grizzlies will now head to the Round of 32 as Kentucky heads home with yet another shocking tournament loss.

After that game, it’s Gohlke and Oakland’s world, and we’re just happily living in it.

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Who is Jack Gohlke? Meet Oakland basketball’s March Madness star who shrugged off first-half dominance

Meet Jack Gohlke, the Oakland sensation who hit some stellar 3-pointers against Kentucky.

During Thursday night’s opening round of 2024 March Madness, a new mid-major hero arrived. His name was Jack Gohlke.

The Oakland sixth-year graduate guard put on a show in the first half of his team’s game against Kentucky, scoring a game-high 21 points and hitting seven 3-point buckets as his Golden Grizzlies led the Wildcats 38-35 at half.

The Pewaukee, Wisconsin, native transferred to Oakland this season after spending time at D-II program Hillsdale College and has made a huge impact on his new team.

Gohlke has been one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation this season along with his teammate Blake Lampman.

Ahead of Thursday’s game, Gohlke told Kentucky Sports Radio that he felt confident he could carry his sharpshooting over into the tournament.

“If I caught it at half-court and I was open, I feel like I could put it up,” Gohlke said ahead of the matchup. “I have faith in my teammates and I’m going to get them the ball, as well, but I think they know I’ll put it up from anywhere. Coach (Greg) Kampe and my teammates, they give me the ultimate confidence and ultimate green light. I just go out there and play free.”

At least from the first half, it looks like Gohlke wasn’t kidding. He took full advantage of his “One Shining Moment.”

He had such a dominant first half, all he could do was shrug it off.

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An Oakland basketball fan shaved his head to distract a Cleveland State player shooting free throws

Well, this is certainly a new way to distract someone during free throws.

Trying to distract an opposing player while they’re attempting free throws is a timeless tradition in basketball.

Shaving someone’s head as a way to distract said opposing player is certainly a fresh approach.

During Oakland men’s basketball’s Saturday tilt with Cleveland State, a host of Golden Grizzlies fans shaved one of their fellow fan’s head right behind the basket while a Cleveland State player attempted his free throws.

The broadcast crew got a huge kick out of this wild fan stunt, and even if it didn’t work to prevent the attempts, it was a noble (and hilarious) effort all the same.

Can you imagine getting a brand-new haircut at a basketball game while you’re in the stands?

It’s not the typical way to enjoy a game, but this very dedicated Oakland basketball fan has to get a special pat on the back for going this far to help his team.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

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Quotes: Tom Izzo, Greg Kampe talk to media after Michigan State basketball win over Oakland

Tom Izzo and Greg Kampe spoke to the media after Michigan State’s win over Oakland

Michigan State basketball, coming off a huge upset win over Baylor, was wary of a scrappy Oakland team that rolled into East Lansing on Monday. The Spartans were able to handle business and keep their momentum going forward, taking out Oakland 79 to 62.

The Spartans were led by their star, Tyson Walker, who had 14. Jaden Akins and A.J. Hoggard also scored in double figures.

After the game both Tom Izzo and Oakland head coach Greg Kampe spoke to the media with their thoughts on the game, and you find their most interesting quotes below.

Rocket Watts gets NCAA waiver, set to play for Oakland in 2022-23

Rocket Watts has received a waiver from the NCAA and will be suiting up for Greg Kampe and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies in 2022-23

Former Michigan State guard Rocket Watts has found his new collegiate home. After transferring from Michigan State to Mississippi State, Watts had decided to transfer from Mississippi State after a disappointing year and now will be suiting up for Greg Kampe and the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.

One last hurdle for Watts to climb was getting a waiver from the NCAA that would allow him to play this season, and not sit out a year for transferring a second time. It appears that Watts was given that waiver and he will be suiting up for Oakland in the 2022-23 campaign.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner.

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Michigan State Basketball explodes offensively to beat Oakland, 109-91, on Sunday

Michigan State basketball used an offensive explosion in the second half to cruise past Oakland, 109-91, on Sunday afternoon.

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Michigan State basketball used an offensive explosion in the second half to cruise past Oakland, 109-91, on Sunday afternoon. The game was tight up until halftime, but the Spartans were able to outscore the Golden Grizzlies 65-51 in the second half to pick up the easy win.

The Spartans were led offensively by junior forwards Gabe Brown (20 points) and Aaron Henry (15 points). Five other Spartans also reached double digits in points, including junior forward Joey Hauser, who had a double-double.

Oakland used the deep ball to keep up with MSU for most of the game, hitting 18-of-34 three-point shots. Juniors Rashad Williams and Jalen Moore led Oakland offensively with 36 and 26 points on Sunday.

For a third straight game, MSU got off to a slow, sloppy start with the Spartans committing 10 of their 18 turnovers in the opening frame. Combine that with an incredible shooting performance from Williams of Oakland — who scored 23 points in the first half — and it was a close 44-40 game at halftime.

The second half got off to a much better start for MSU, with the Spartans using a 13-0 run early in the half to build a double-digit lead. Oakland never completely faded, but that early run spearheaded the Spartans’ convincing win in the end.

MSU finished the game shooting 51.3% from the field in what was their best offensive outing of the season. The Spartans shot a season-high 37 three-point attempts, hitting 15 (40.5%).

Sunday’s win against Oakland for now completed a perfect non-conference schedule for the Spartans at 6-0. MSU is looking to add another non-conference game this week to replace this past Wednesday’s canceled match-up at Virginia.

As of right now, MSU is scheduled to next play on Dec. 20 at Northwestern in their first Big Ten game of the season.

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MSU Basketball vs. Oakland: Where to Watch, Game Preview & Prediction

Check out the game details, keys to the match-up, and my game prediction in this Michigan State-Oakland preview.

A familiar program will return to the Breslin Center on Sunday, with the Oakland Golden Grizzlies next up on Michigan State basketball’s slate.

For the ninth straight season, MSU and Oakland will battle it out on the hardwood. This will be the 18th all-time meeting between the Spartans and Golden Grizzlies, with MSU winning each of the previous match-ups.

The Spartans will be returning to the court for the first time all week after Wednesday’s game against Virginia was canceled. Oakland is also well rested with their last game coming on Dec. 5.

Let’s take a look at this match-up against the Golden Grizzlies, with game details, things to watch, and last but not least my prediction for this game.

Team-by-team breakdown of MSU Basketball’s non-conference schedule

Take a closer look at each of the Spartans’ non-conference opponents for the upcoming 2020-21 season that tips off next week.

Michigan State basketball will return to the court next week, with the non-conference scheduled officially released on Wednesday.

There had been numerous reports that made it evident what the schedule looked like, but now it’s official that the Spartans will open the season on Nov. 25 against Eastern Michigan. The full seven-game non-conference schedule can be seen in the Spartans’ tweet below:

Game times and television details have yet to be released, but those should be coming out shortly as well.

With the non-conference schedule finally out there, let’s take a look at each of the Spartans’ opponents and how they stack up as we enter the 2020-21 season.