Prior to Thursday, Oakland University was situated so distantly from the conventional spotlight that even casual followers of the NCAA Tournament needed to be reminded that the institution is located in Michigan, not California.
Securing the No. 14 seed in the South Region, the Golden Grizzlies upset third-seeded Kentucky, solidifying their presence as the latest underdog to etch its name into the March Madness lore.
“This changed everything,” coach Greg Kampe said Thursday. “There’s nobody in the country that doesn’t know what Oakland basketball is.”
Either Oakland or the 11th-seeded North Carolina State will prolong their astonishing journey to the Sweet 16 as they clash in the tournament’s second round on Saturday.
Conducting Oakland’s helm for 40 seasons, Kampe has steered the Golden Grizzlies (24-11) for a significantly longer duration than the school’s Division I existence. The team’s 80-76 triumph over Kentucky marked their inaugural victory in the Round of 64.
Jack Gohlke drained 10 of 20 shots from beyond the arc, joining the ranks as the fifth player in NCAA Tournament history to achieve double-digit 3-pointers in a single game. Alongside his 32-point contribution, Trey Townsend tallied 17 points and 12 rebounds, culminating in a pivotal turnaround jumper over 7-foot Ugonna Onyenso in the closing minutes.
“It’s such a great thing to see our fanbase travel,” said Townsend, who averages 16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists. “We wanted Pittsburgh (or) Indianapolis because we knew they would travel if they could drive.”
“Seeing them out there, my parents are here, my dad is right back there. To win with them here was a special thing for sure and we’re definitely not done yet.”
A looming query for Saturday’s confrontation against the Wolfpack (23-14) revolves around how the Golden Grizzlies will counter NC State’s imposing figure, DJ Burns Jr., standing at 6 feet 9 inches and weighing 275 pounds.
Burns has been ablaze for NC State, orchestrating a triumph in five consecutive games to surge through the ACC tournament before outmatching No. 6 Texas Tech 80-67 on Thursday. Notably, Burns has amassed 55 points on 24-of-34 shooting in his last three outings.
“He was a local star for a whole year and now everybody in the national media is starting to understand that,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. “I mean, he’s just fun. He scores and he gets beat up all the time. And he’s almost gotta play through contact. But it is so fun to watch him.”
“And you know, I consider him a closer for us. We put him in the game, and he closes the game.”
While four key players, DJ Horne (16.9 ppg), Burns (12.5), Jayden Taylor (11.6), and Casey Morsell (11.4), have spearheaded the majority of Wolfpack’s scoring this season, notable contributions have emanated from various facets of the roster.
Both Ben Middlebrooks (21 points) and Mohamed Diarra (17) attained career-high scoring figures against Texas Tech, while Michael O’Connell consistently breached double digits in the ACC tournament games, further orchestrating six assists on Thursday.
NC State and Oakland likely share an appreciation for each other’s odysseys to the Round of 32, however, both squads remain fervently hungry for more.
“The whole thing down the stretch has been, once we knew we had won a ring, the whole banter in the locker room has been, what’s it going to say on that ring, right?” Kampe said. “What’s it going to say on that ring: just Horizon League champ? NCAA? Sweet 16? Final Four?”
“I’ve put that thought in their mind, and they’ve really battled for it, and they understand that their life got changed (Thursday), but it could get changed a hell of a lot more if we keep this thing going.”
