Can you define March Madness? How about two double-digit seeds facing off? Oakland and NC State are matching up in the second round of the men’s NCAA Tournament after upsetting No. 3 and 6 seeds, respectively. The Wolfpack are favored by several points following their sixth-straight win.
The Golden Grizzlies come in hot following a win against heavily-favored Kentucky. Winners of five straight and nine of the last 10 games, Oakland guard Jack Gohlke was the story of the first day of the tournament with a hot-shooting display against the Wildcats.
Gohlke, a Division II transfer from Hillsdale College, is a flamethrower from deep. The senior has 11 games this season with five made 3-pointers, including connecting on 10 treys en route to a season-high 32 points against Kentucky. Gohlke is one of only five players in men’s NCAA Tournament history to record 10 or more made 3-pointers in a game.
Oakland is more than a one-man show though. Forward Trey Townsend, a four-year starter and the son of two former Oakland hoopers, is averaging 16.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. The Michigan native is a double-double threat in the paint, as he has nine such performances on the season, including going for 17 points and 12 rebounds on Thursday.
Meanwhile, NC State has completely flipped its season after losing seven of nine heading into the ACC tournament. The Wolfpack’s leading scorer is guard DJ Horne, who is back in his hometown of Raleigh, N.C. for his senior season. Horne’s importance is of note, but this matchup could be decided by how Oakland handles the size of NC State.
Junior forward Ben Middlebrooks scored a career-high 21 points against Texas Tech. NC State’s two other bigs — forwards Mohamed Diarra (17 points) and DJ Burns Jr. (16 points) — will also factor into this matchup after major contributions to NC State’s 42 points in the paint in the first round. These forwards present an imposing frontline, with all three coming in at 6-foot-9 or taller. Burns, the ACC tournament MVP, is becoming an internet sensation with his skillful game and large stature (6-foot-9, 275 pounds).
No matter who comes out on top, kudos are in order for Oakland coach Greg Kampe and NC State coach Kevin Keatts. Now let the best bracket buster win.
What: South Region, Second Round
Tipoff time: 7:10 p.m. ET Saturday
TV: TBS
Location: Pittsburgh
NC State vs. Oakland odds
Odds are from BetMGM and update live. Find the best ticket deals on StubHub to see your favorite team.
Expert picks
Model projection: NC State by 5.5, total 144
Players to watch
NC State
- DJ Horne, senior guard, third-team All-ACC
Oakland
- Trey Townsend, junior forward, Horizon League Player of the Year, first-team All-Horizon
- Blake Lampman, senior guard, second-team All-Horizon
More NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage
(Photo of Jack Gohlke: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
