While there were a couple of mid-level upsets on Thursday, the Oakland Grizzlies outdid them all when they stunned No. 3 seed Kentucky in Round 1 of March Madness 2024.
The Horizon Conference champion Oakland Grizzlies were a complete afterthought heading into the opening round of this year’s NCAA Tournament. They were the lamb being sent to the slaughter of a talent-rich Kentucky team that was ranked 12th in the nation before the game. However, the program that hasn’t played in the tournament since 2011 major a huge impact in their return to March Madness.
On Thursday night, the team led by Greg Kampe — a coach in his 40th year in the business — drained 15 threes and shot just under 50% from the arc for the night. However, their stunning upset was led by the unbelievable play of senior Jack Gohlke who posted 32 points and 10 threes against the Wildcats struggling defense.
The loss will be a difficult pill to swallow for Kentucky head coach John Calipari who is sure to be feeling the heat in Lexington with the program’s streak of seasons without advancing past the first weekend of the tournament is now five years. The school lost to Cinderella squad Saint Peter’s last season.
X reacts to Oakland Grizzlies shocking Kentucky in NCAA Tournament
Unsurprisingly, college basketball fans around the nation took to X during and after the game to bash the legendary Kentucky program for another disappointing showing in the tournament and applauded the Oakland Grizzlies’ unbelievable win.
Related: Men’s college basketball rankings before March Madness