When companies offering NIL contracts look at collegiate athletes, they usually go for those in the upper echelons of each sport. In other words, if Jack Gohlke's Thursday performance didn't happen, he wouldn't be advertising Buffalo Wild Wings on X (Twitter)…which he just did. Despite the Golden Grizzlies' March Madness elimination on Saturday, Gohlke inked an NIL deal with the restaurant chain, per ON3's Pete Nakos. The sharpshooter also managed to release his own merchandise following Oakland's NCAA run.
So how does a small-DI-program athlete who spent most of his career in Division II land a signing such as this? Well, it all started on Thursday.
Jack Gohlke shocks the entire country
Entering the first round of Oakland basketball's March Madness schedule, everyone counted them out. Understandable, since they were a 15th-seeded team that was set to face John Calipari and the renowned Kentucky Wildcats (third seed). However, Gohlke had other plans. Shooting 10 threes en route to a 32-point outing, the six-foot-three guard sent the sports world buzzing as he led the Golden Grizzlies past Kentucky, 80-76.
Gohlke's confidence was on another level. Hand on his face or not, the sharpshooter would let the ball fly at almost every opportunity. By halftime, he already made seven of his 10 downtown hits. His final three came with 4:37 remaining in the game — a contested shot at the wing that put Oakland up by five, much to the dismay of the Kentucky basketball fandom.
It also helped that his teammates showed up. Trey Townsend added a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds while DQ Cole added 12 points, including a go-ahead triple with 28.8 seconds to make it a two-possession game for Oakland.
As the final buzzer sounded, Gohlke's name was the talk of basketball fans all over America.
Oakland basketball reminded everyone what March Madness is all about
Gohlke followed his Thursday heroics with a 22-point game against North Carolina State, but Oakland's run would end there. While the Golden Grizzlies did manage to send the clash to overtime, they eventually fell short.
Still, Jack Gohlke and Oakland just gave fans a reminder that no matter what school name is written on one's jersey, it's the on-court performance that matters. Sure, big programs such as Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina and Kansas do have a bit of that intimidation factor to them. Nevertheless, one bad game could spell doom in a tournament that emphasizes consistency. After all, it's a win-or-go-home scenario.
And that's the beauty of March Madness. Regardless of how high a school's seeding is, an off-night or an unusually crazy performance from an opponent could yield unexpected results. Just look at another game that happened on Thursday. The sixth-seeded BYU fell to number 11 Duquesne.
With all that being said, March Madness is called March Madness for a reason. It's one of a kind and it will always be a treat for basketball fans everywhere.
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