March Madness 2024: Social media reacts as Kentucky suffers stunning upset in first round to Oakland
March Madness already had a few upsets in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, but the first stunner came when 3-seeded Kentucky fell to 14-seeded Oakland in the Round of 64, handing the Wildcats their second first-round exit in the past three years.
Largely responsible for the Kentucky loss was Oakland sharpshooter Jack Gohlke, who hit 10 3-pointers for the Golden Grizzlies, tied for second in NCAA Tournament history.
REQUIRED READING: Kentucky players, coach John Calipari apparently lost track of Oakland free-throw attempts
It made Kentucky the first blueblood to be eliminated for the tournament, and guaranteed the Wildcats won't make it out of the first weekend for the fourth straight season (technically fifth, but the 2020 NCAA Tournament wasn't played).
As it happens so often when a historically successful program falls, social media was unkind to the Wildcats.
Reactions on X to Wildcats losing in March Madness
Users on X (formerly known as Twitter) had a lot to say about Oakland's stunning upset of Kentucky, which had the added side effect of obliterating numerous brackets.
"I have the perfect brack—"
Kentucky:pic.twitter.com/xrn3tWt9wd— Action Network (@ActionNetworkHQ) March 22, 2024
Me watching myself have Kentucky going to the Final Four pic.twitter.com/fFo5j146hW
— Gump Cathcart (@bubbagumpino) March 22, 2024
Five years ago, Jack Gohlke was a redshirt freshman at Hillsdale College (Division II).
Tonight, he made 10 three-point shots and scored 32 points as Oakland upset Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament.
Anarchy?
Nope. Just College Basketball.— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 22, 2024
Oakland’s reaction to being paired up against (3) Kentucky.
The Golden Grizzlies never feared Big Blue. pic.twitter.com/unJQ4tk5r3— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) March 22, 2024
Kentucky in NCAA Tournament: a different kind of 1-and-done for the Wildcats
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) March 22, 2024
NO. 14 OAKLAND UPSETS NO. 3 KENTUCKY IN THE 1ST ROUND 😱
THIS. IS. MARCH. pic.twitter.com/QAH5UChTnb— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 22, 2024
Kentucky is believed to have two potential lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard. Oakland will now move on to the second round, as the Wildcats head back to the drawing board once again.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: March Madness 2024: Social media reacts as Kentucky suffers stunning upset