Jack Gohlke played basketball for Hillsdale before transferring to Oakland University where he led the Grizzlies to an upset victory over No. 3 seed University of Kentucky in the first round of March Madness.
Clarence Round | Oakland Athletics

When Hillsdale graduate Jack Gohlke ’23 stepped off the court following his team’s upset victory over the University of Kentucky Wildcats in the NCAA basketball tournament, the sixth-year senior for the Oakland University Golden Grizzlies had just etched his name in the record books. 

His 32 points on 10 three-pointers and two free throws on the night of March 21 made him not only the fifth player ever to score 10 three-point shots in an NCAA tournament game, but they briefly made him the most celebrated athlete in the country. His 16 3-pointers were the most over a two game span in NCAA tournament history.

The Wall Street Journal called the Charger alumnus with a degree in accounting a “newly-minted March Madness hero.” The Athletic dubbed him “the NCAA Tournament hero we never saw coming.” The New York Times described him as “a 24-year-old graduate student with a widow’s peak and the same regard for shot selection as a gunslinger busting through saloon doors.”

Although Gohlke and the Golden Grizzlies lost in overtime to the North Carolina State Wolfpack two days later, Gohlke’s star continued to rise. The Horizon League Sixth Man of the Year award winner has surpassed 70,000 social media followers, appeared on multiple national sports media shows, and already obtained his own lineup of brand deals. 

The loss to the Wolfpack ended Gohlke’s college basketball career. But this final year with the Golden Grizzlies is only a small part of a storied career. 

“I just want to give so much credit to my Hillsdale coaches and Hillsdale teammates for believing in me and also people from back home [in Pewaukee, Wisconsin],” Gohlke told The Athletic after Oakland’s upset of Kentucky.

The Pewaukee High School alumnus finished his senior year by defeating current Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro just before graduating, ultimately ending Herro’s high school career. 

“I used to play against him two or three times a year in high school,” Gohlke said. “There were so many battles between our teams. Thankfully, we got the last laugh at the end of high school, but he’s got like $100 million in the bank now, so I think he really got the last laugh in the end.”

After that upset victory, Gohlke’s next stop was a five-hour drive to Hillsdale to play for John “Roundy” Tharp and the Chargers. 

“Hillsdale was my only full-ride offer. I had a couple of other partial offers from other Division II schools, but it was before my high-school season started senior year, and I kind of just wanted to get it locked in so I knew where I was going,” Gohlke said, “What I didn’t realize was how many people from home would be excited for me to go to Hillsdale because they get ‘Imprimis.’”

At Hillsdale, Gohlke met one of his closest friends and roommate of four years, Patrick Cartier ’22. Despite only growing up 10 minutes away from each other, the pair did not meet until arriving on Hillsdale’s campus. 

Five years later, the former roommates were both competing in the NCAA tournament, but for different teams. While Gohlke was dominating Kentucky, Cartier’s Colorado State University Rams lost to the University of Texas Longhorns, 56-44.

“The process of what and who Jack Gohlke is as a basketball player was a day-in, day-out, shot after shot grind,” Tharp said.“His work ethic and treatment of his teammates is truly one of a kind.”

Both Gohlke and Cartier were redshirt freshmen their first season at Hillsdale. They went on to lead Hillsdale to multiple NCAA Division II tournaments, including an appearance in the Elite 8 in 2022.

“That year had a lot of parallels to my season this year at Oakland,” Gohlke said, “We went to Greece before the season started at Hillsdale, and we went to Italy this year. That just helps the team so much when you go on those trips and then not trying to feel each other out anymore, you’re just connected.”

Gohlke and Cartier are not the only players from their recruiting class still playing basketball. Former Charger Peter Kalthoff is currently playing professional basketball in Slovakia, where he is averaging 15.9 points per game for Iskra Svit. 

“Jack’s positivity is contagious and he inspires the right approach on and off the court,” Kalthoff said. “He really gives everyone the time of his day and always works on building up relationships. At Hillsdale we all had confidence in his consistency and ability to get hot at any point and win a game for us. It makes me smile to see how he has cultivated a similar confidence and trust with his Oakland teammates.”

After spending half a decade in a Charger uniform, Gohlke graduated last year and entered the transfer portal, looking to spend his final year of NCAA eligibility at the Division I level. Golden Grizzlies Head Coach Greg Kampe came knocking, and Gohlke found himself wearing black and gold. 

Gohlke’s 13.1 points per game this season led Oakland to its first Horizon League tournament championship in program history, its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010, and its first tournament victory since 2005. This season, Gohlke attempted 364 total three-point shots, while taking only 10 shots from inside the arc.

When the #14 seed Golden Grizzlies met Antonio Reeves and the #3 seed Kentucky Wildcats in Pittsburgh, in the tournament’s South Region, they were 14-point underdogs.

During his final year at Hillsdale, Gohlke was elected as the president of Hillsdale’s accounting club. 

“Jack is crazy about basketball and his work ethic on the court is surpassed by no one, but he held his own in the classroom as well,” Hillsdale Associate Professor of Accounting James Webb said.“Students can’t coast through an accounting major. Knowing that he wanted to pursue basketball professionally, Jack could have taken the easy way out but he finished 150 credits and will certainly pass the CPA exam if he decides to take it.” 

Even after he finished his final season as a Charger, Gohlke still visited Hillsdale Academy with his teammates and read to the kindergarten class to celebrate National Reading Month.

“They were very popular coming off their successful season. It’s always one of the favorite days of the kindergarten class,” said Nicole Walbright, the college’s assistant athletic director, who organized the guest reading.

Gohlke said he hopes to play professional basketball. 

“I’m pretty much just back to workouts and stuff because the process for your first pro season starts pretty early,” Gohlke said. “I’m hoping to get some workouts with some NBA teams, and obviously just getting the workout doesn’t mean you’ll get drafted. Maybe if those workouts go well I could earn a spot in the NBA Summer League which would be really cool.”