March Madness: Where is Oakland University? (It's not where you think)

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies beat the Kentucky Wildcats on Thursday night, the rare instance of a No. 14 seed triumphing over a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The leader was spunky bench guard Jack Gohlke, who hit 10-of-20 attempts from 3-point range en route to 32 points. He joined the history books in the process, becoming the fifth player in tournament history to hit double-digit 3s.

It's an especially ugly loss for Kentucky, one rooted in poor offensive execution and the disappearance of its best players. Reed Sheppard was the best freshman in the country, a worthy All-SEC candidate, and he scored three points on 1-of-5 shooting. Rob Dillingham went 2-of-9 from the field. When your best players disappear, it's generally tough sledding.

After the game, Gohlke announced to the world (or at least the basketball-watching audience) that Oakland is "not a Cinderella." The Golden Grizzlies will face the winner of No. 6 Texas Tech and No. 11 NC State in the Round of 32.

What a great moment for the West Coast underdogs from — wait, what's that? They're not from the West Coast? That's right. Oakland is from Oakland, but not that Oakland. You were curious, and we have the answer.

Where is Oakland University located?

Oakland University is a public research university in Rochester, Michigan. Huh. If you're wondering where the Oakland came from, well, it's a simple answer. The school is located in Oakland County.

As the Golden Grizzlies' run continues, expect the broader college basketball world to rally behind 2024's new favorite underdog. Every year we get one or two low seeds that get hot at the right time. Few have dispelled their blue-blood opponents with more style than Oakland.

It's hard to imagine Gohlke replicating his 10 3s in the Grizzlies' next game, but Trey Townsend put up 17 points and proved himself capable of scoring in critical moments. It's not a one-man show; these Cinderella squads never are. If you can knock off Kentucky, you can knock off every other team in the South Region. It won't get easier — Kentucky always felt like a volatile 3-seed — but Oakland has shown other mid-major schools the blueprint. Hit 3s, share the rock, and don't stumble into unforced errors.

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