Jack Gaelke wasn’t a household name before Thursday’s tipoff between Oakland and Kentucky, but he certainly was by the time the final buzzer sounded.
Goelke, a senior, made 10 3-pointers and finished the night with 32 points in Oakland University’s 80-76 come-from-behind victory over Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, making the graduate guard an instant success. He became a hero.
“He had no conscience,” Golden Grizzlies head coach Greg Kampe told CBS Sports after the win. “And he’s the best and he proved it to the world tonight.”
The 6-foot-3 guard from Pewaukee, Wis., also the hometown of NFL stars JJ Watt and TJ Watt, essentially took the team lead after the first half when he made a record seven 3-pointers. did. 21 points out of 32 points.
“I mean, this is something I’ve worked hard on throughout my career and the coaches have just given me confidence,” Goelke said. “It’s given me the freedom to go out and play. It’s had a positive impact on the game and I’m just having fun.”
Goelke’s performance and shocking upset against one of the best college basketball programs on the sport’s biggest stage is a far cry from where Goelke started his college career.
Five years ago, Goelke redshirted as a freshman at Division II Hillsdale College.
He spent a total of four seasons at the private Christian school in Hillsdale, Michigan, helping the Chargers reach the Elite Eight in the 2022 Division II Tournament (the program’s first-ever trip). He is averaging 14.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game in 2022-23.
Goelke shot 40 percent from 3-point range in his final season at Hillsdale.
In his first year in Oakland, he averaged 12.2 points and 4.1 rebounds, helping the Golden Grizzlies win the Horizon League regular season and tournament championships.
Goelke’s profile on the Golden Grizzlies’ player page lists Bradley Cooper as the actor he would like to play in a movie.
If Oakland can continue its run against the winner of Texas Tech vs. North Carolina State, there’s a good chance Hollywood will come calling.
But before Goelke left the court Thursday, he wanted to make one thing clear.
“We’re not Cinderella.”
