The Univ. of South Florida’s men’s basketball uniforms to be worn tonight against Seton Hall in the Big East tournament “are supposed to evoke a South Florida sunset,” according to Chris Chase of USA TODAY. They feature a "retro chic" take on the surfer stripe and showcase a "South Beach environment." The Under Armour uniforms “aren't as audacious as Nike's Oregon football kits, nor as backwards-thinking, wanna-be futuristic" as adidas' sleeved, striped NCAA tournament uniforms. However, the shorts have “horizontal stripes that look like a paint sample from Usain Bolt's interior decorator.” Chase wrote it “shouldn't look good, but it does, particularly on the road jerseys USF will wear at Madison Square Garden” (USATODAY.com, 3/11).
FOLLOWING THE TREND: USA TODAY’s Nicole Auerbach writes college basketball this season has “joined college football on the alternate uniform trend,” but arguably “none is more bold or risk-taking" than the adiZero jerseys that will be worn by several teams during the postseason. The uniforms outside the 18-to-22 age group “have been met with overwhelming negativity -- even beyond the world of sports.” GQ Senior Editor Will Welch said of his first reaction to the uniforms, "They're really outrageous. I think it's fair to say they're kind of gaudy. They're ugly in a sort of gaudy way." Auerbach notes the shorts “don't match the jerseys in some cases, such as with Kansas and UCLA, whose uniforms feature solid blue tops.” Despite the “benefits of an advanced uniform system and the publicity generated, not every Adidas school was on board with this project.” Indiana turned down the adiZero uniforms, a move “lauded by fans of tradition.” Auerbach writes, “Therein lies the point of contention. On one side, tradition. The other, a new, hip style for the generation that can't sit still. Either way, it gives fashion experts and average fans a topic to debate as conference tournaments are played this week” (USA TODAY, 3/12).
