OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Every NCAA Tournament, there’s that one team or player who shocks the country. Last year, it was Oakland’s Jack Gohlke, who drained 10 threes to upset Kentucky in the first round. This year, he’s back in his home state and looking to make a name for himself, playing for the Wisconsin Herd.
"I put my name in the player pool, and we had kind of hoped that Wisconsin would be the outcome," Gohlke said. "Arte [Culver] just called me once I put my name in the pool, and it all just worked out pretty well, so I was super happy to be able to come home and represent Wisconsin like that."
The last year has been a whirlwind for the Pewaukee native, and it all started with March Madness.
"Going into the game, our coach [Greg Kampe] was kind of just trying to get us prepared, get us confident and have us ready to go," Gohlke said. "One of the things that he kept telling us was that this tournament changes lives, and for our team or for some of us, it might change our lives. And I mean, that couldn't be more true for me."
After his 32-point performance against Kentucky, Gohlke landed multiple NIL deals, played in the NBA Summer League, and spent the last few months playing professional basketball overseas.
He joined the G League in December and was thrown right into the action since the Herd were dealing with several injuries.
"It's a super talented league, and there are guys who are super athletic—much more athletic than I am," Gohlke said. "There's just a lot of learning to be done. I mean, it's just basketball at the highest level. Like, our coaches played in the NBA and have all that type of experience, so just even breaking down film and stuff like that, I feel like I've learned so much just in the month or month and a half that I've been here so far."
Gohlke’s teammates knew exactly who he was when he joined the Herd.
"A lot of the guys were like, ‘It’s so funny—I was watching you last year, and now to be on the same team,’" Rice Lake native Henry Ellenson said. "It was kind of a funny reaction we all had in the locker room."
Ellenson is happy to have the sharpshooter on his side.
"His shooting ability is something else," Ellenson said. "It's fun to have him around, and to have a guy who can shoot like that is always very nice to have on a team."
Head coach Beno Udrih remembers watching Gohlke hit 10 3-pointers against Kentucky and said he has seen flashes of that ability in games for the Herd.
"Everybody knows Jack is a specialist," Udrih said. "He can shoot the ball, and there have definitely been a couple of games where he came in and helped us get a win."
Even almost a year later, Gohlke is still getting recognized for his NCAA Tournament fame.
"When we're on the road, there are always kids chanting ‘Put in Gohlke!’ and stuff like that," Gohlke said. "I feel super fortunate that when I do get recognized, something as simple as taking a picture or signing an autograph can make a kid's day. So I feel lucky that I can do that."
The Herd will close out January with two home games on Wednesday and Friday against the Delaware Blue Coats. Both games will be broadcast on tv32.
