When you drain 10 3-pointers in an NCAA Tournament game, you’re bound to get on the radar of some big companies for NIL purposes. Oakland sharpshooter Jack Gohlke teamed up with TurboTax just in time for the tail end of tax season to shoot a quick advertisement in the literal hotel where he’s staying for March Madness.
This zero-budget, eight-second commercial dropped late on Friday night has already exceeded 3.5 million views on Elon Musk’s X/Twitter. Good work if you can get it! And to be clear, Gohlke earned every cent of whatever TurboTax paid him to sell their services.
Gohlke’s 32 points against Kentucky served as the chief catalyst for the 14th-seeded Golden Grizzlies’ stunning 80-76 upset. It also led to Oakland’s website crashing after it sold $8,000 in merchandise.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey argued before the Big Dance that the tournament field should shrink to shut out mid-major programs. If he got his way, America never would’ve heard of somebody like Jack Gohlke, nor would he have been able to secure some sweet NIL money as a bonus. It’s not like he’s going to the NBA. This is it for the breakout senior guard. This is all that’s left for many of the leaders on Cinderella squads who are able to capture lightning in a bottle, knock off higher-profile programs, and inspire sports fans every single year.
You have to love the confidence Oakland coach Greg Kampe has in Gohlke, too.
That’s the ultimate green light if I’ve ever heard it. Gohlke entered the NCAA Tournament having attempted only eight 2-point field goals all season. I admire his commitment to full-sending every time he’s on the court no matter where he’s at or what degree of difficulty any given shot presents. He’ll just keep firing.
What more can you ask for out of March Madness? Even better for Gohlke’s Golden Grizzlies, they got a break of sorts in the Round of 32, because 11th-seeded NC State knocked off No. 6 Texas Tech in the South region. Maybe Oakland’s improbable run can continue into the Sweet Sixteen after all. But even if Jack Gohlke is a one-hit wonder, he gave us one of the most electrifying performances in recent college basketball history.
Imagine, too, happening to be from the same hometown as JJ Watt and getting a shout out from him on social media. Between that and a near-instantaneous TurboTax endorsement, Gohlke is living right!
