It took Jack Gohlke less than 10 minutes of game time to work his way into the hearts of basketball fans during his March Madness debut.
By the 10-minute mark in the first half of Oakland’s upset win over Kentucky, Gohlke had gone 4-of-5 from 3-point range to score 12 of Oakland’s 19 points. Kentucky’s high-powered offense had mustered just 13.
When all was said and done, Gohlke fell one triple shy of tying an NCAA Tournament record by going 10 of 20 from distance, finishing with a game-high 32 points in the Golden Grizzlies’ bracket-busting 80-76 win over 3-seed Kentucky.
After the game, Gohlke displayed a blend of confidence and humility, declaring that Oakland is “not a Cinderella” and later admitting “I know I’m not going to the NBA” when referencing Kentucky’s widespread talent.
While Gohlke may not believe he is an NBA player, would scouts say the same? Here is a look at his strengths, weaknesses and how his game could translate to the next level.
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Jack Gohlke stats
| Stat | Average |
| Points | 12.8 |
| Rebounds | 4.0 |
| Assists | 1.1 |
| Steals | 0.7 |
| Field goal % | 38.0 |
| 3-point % | 37.8 |
| Free throw % | 78.3 |
Jack Gohlke strengths
If you couldn’t tell by the numbers, Gohlke’s strength is his shooting ability. More specifically, his 3-point shooting ability.
Gohlke has a pure jump shot with a nice release point. It helps that he can effectively shoot on the move. Against Kentucky, Gohlke did his work off of screens and off the dribble, making the Wildcats pay for aggressive closeouts by calmly knocking 3s down off the bounce.
The 2023-24 season is Gohlke’s lone year playing at the Divison I level. Over his first 35 games with Oakland, 347 of his 355 field goal attempts are from distance.
Jack Gohlke Shot Locations pic.twitter.com/b1I4GQENdJ
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) March 22, 2024
Before transferring to Oakland, Gohlke played four seasons at Division II Hillsdale College. In his last two seasons of Division II ball, Gohlke shot 167 of 414 (40.3 percent) from 3-point range, though he did also shoot 138 2-point field goals in that span.
More than just a shooter, Gohlke has shown the ability to rebound from the guard position, pulling down five or more rebounds in 13 different games this year. Considering his 6-3, 215-pound frame, Gohlke’s ability to get into the rebounding mix is impressive.
MORE: Learn more about the journey of Oakland sharpshooter Jack Gohlke
Jack Gohlke weaknesses
Gohlke’s biggest weaknesses stem from his size, athleticism and age.
His rebounding is solid for his size but Gohlke’s frame aligns with most combo guards in the NBA. Gohlke is a pure shooter who would fall into more of a role similar to a player like Joe Harris or Dylan Windler, who measure in at 6-6 and 6-7, respectively.
Gohlke could try to carve a lane similar to players who have such a heavy shot diet of 3-pointers, but he’d need to make a major leap to play make like Harris or rebound like Windler, who owns the NBA G League single-game rebounding record.
Gohlke’s size would also create matchup problems on the defensive end. He has not shown the lateral agility to match up with NBA-level guards and gives up too much size to small forwards.
There is no question of Gohlke’s effort on both ends of the floor, but it may not be enough to compensate for his shortcomings. At 24, it’s unclear just how much he can improve.
Jack Gohlke NBA Mock Draft projection
Mock Draft projection: Undrafted
This is one of the weaker NBA Drafts, but as teams have shown in the past, they would rather take a flier on a younger prospect with an unknown upside.
Gohlke, who is in his sixth year of college, is a known commodity from a development perspective. What you see on draft night is what you would likely get — both right away and beyond.
That said, Gohlke’s path bears some similarities to a few players who have caught on in Miami, which has had a few former Division II players on its roster in the past two years.
Current Heat forward Haywood Highsmith forged a path to the NBA after four years at the Division II level while Cavs wing Max Strus starred for two years at Division II Lewis University before transferring to DePaul, where he averaged 18.6 points over two seasons in the Big East.
Last but certainly not least, Duncan Robinson spent a season starring at Division III Williams College before transferring to Michigan, where he spent his last three seasons.
Highsmith, Robinson and Strus all made their way to the NBA after going undrafted, but they measure in at 6-5, 6-7 and 6-5, respectively. They’ve proven that the journey is possible but Gohlke would have a few more hurdles to overcome.
MORE: NBA Mock Draft: Predicting where March Madness stars will go
Jack Gohlke NBA player comparison
Plays like: Troy Daniels
As a senior at VCU, Daniels took 357 field goals — 308 of them came from beyond the arc. Like Daniels, Gohlke almost exclusively shoots from 3-point range and the two are fairly similar in frame.
Daniels went undrafted in 2013, but after spending Summer League with the then-Bobcats, he eventually stuck with the Rockets organization and hit a game-winning 3 in the playoffs as an undrafted rookie.
From there, Daniels carved out a seven-year career in the NBA, where he was a 39.5 percent 3-point shooter. It would require a similar path, but Gohlke has NBA-level shooting ability. It’s the rest of his game he’ll need to improve if he hopes to stick.
