The 25 Greatest College Basketball Uniforms of All Time

Written by Brandon Edler of Complex and Ian Stonebrook of Nice Kicks.

In college hoops the game has evolved tremendously over the past few decades bringing in more revenue, more television attention, and more sponsors. Along the way companies realized that not only were the players making a statement with their game but the brands were getting recognition for the jerseys on their back.

Opening up an Eastbay catalog in the mid-90's and grabbing your favorite schools jersey and shorts was just as important as the sneakers you hooped in. Complex decided to tip off the tournament right, and it was only appropriate to determine which schools had the right cuts, colorways, and designs to stand out as much as the players that rocked them.

Year: 1995 - 1997

Fresh off a Felipe Lopez signing, St. Johns put the city on their back and the skyline on their shorts with these fire red unis. Mike Jarvis and Jordan Brand would soon take over a Ron Artest-run Red Storm, but these still reign as their best.

Year: 1996

UK was running the courts in the mid-90s and Converse basically gave them all of the company's attention with special editions across the board. None quite as memorable as the denim uniforms with the matching kicks. Kentucky greats like Derek Anderson and Antoine Walker rocked them on the way to the '96 NCAA title

Year: 1979

Larry Legend dipped on the Hoosiers but still repped his home when he hooped for the Sycamores. The team dropped the "I" in favor of the state silo on their jerseys, which made them a more sicker squad as anyone would claim, taking the school to their one and only Final Four.

Year: 2005 - 2006

Duke isn't exactly a team known for style but when Nike remixed the schools long standing threads it was a perfect update for one of the nation's strongest squads. The addition of the black trim along the collar and arms set off the Duke blue and the white piping making these the best Blue Devil uniforms of all tiem.

Year: 2000

Shot caller Doug Gottlieb padded his assist stats tossing up lobs to Desmond Mason in these Cowboy clad jerseys. On the low, Oklahoma State has donned some of the best duds on court for years.

Year: 1999 - 2000

Michigan State went Reebok for a few years when Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson were running things. The jerseys and shorts were clean featuring great use of font and spacing across the chest and unique pattern designs on all the openings for added flavor.

Year: 1995 - 1996

Moving units in stores outside of Storrs and influencing countless programs, the UCONN uniforms debuted on Ray Allen set a style standard for more than just Huskie hoops.

Year: 1998 - 2008

Not too many teams could go a decade without a uniform update and still have jerseys and shorts flying off the shelves. As soon as you saw the away red "Cats" shorts on the court that was enough to intimidate you out of home court advantage.

Year: 1997

Back when Mr. Big Shot was rocking a zig-zag part, he was dazzling home state fans in these gold getups. The cartoony Colorado font came off fresh over a polyester base that took especially well to metallic tones.

Year: 2007 - 2008

Kansas State went all out once they picked up top recruits Michael Beasley and Bill Walker. Nike decided with the national attention they were about to get it was time to update the resume, lacing the Wildcats with more stripes than a sergeant.

Year: 2010

Nike's ventilated HyperElite uniforms got even cooler when Ohio State dressed them in grey. The modern look mixed with nostalgic shades finds the best of both worlds for a school that ranks among the best in most sports.

Year: 1997 - 2004

Design wise, the 'Terps got set up with one of the most memorable unis in college basketball history —complete with neat homage to the State flag.

Year: 1994 - 1995

Raising eyebrows and raising socks, Villanova's jerseys during the Kerry Kittles era were so bold that the school had to go stencil clean when Tim Thomas's time came.

Year: 2007

The last squad to take it back to back, it was only right that Nike tried hitting them up with something bigger and better. The team struggled in the new uniforms and the superstitious squad lead by Joakim Noah decided to scrap the alligator-skin-patterned jerseys out of rotation after a loss to Tennessee with some of the guys complaining about the comfort and some simply feeling they might be cursed. Originally released in limited quantities, the jerseys were later recalled, and some orders were simply not fulfilled. Good luck with your eBay search on the "System of Dress" Gator jerseys. These are extremely hard to find.

Year: 1996 - 1997

Jamison and Carter were on their diamond steeze before Hov and 'Ye had you throwing 'em up. Top that with the powder blue away jerseys or accented home and the argyle addition —you know you're still rocking the shorts for rec league even though the drawstring has been done for years and they keep falling off your ass.

Year: 1960's

50 years ago John Wooden made one of the most impressive runs in basketball history with his 60's Bruins squads. Holding it down in L.A. a certain level of style was a must —in an era when flashy wasn't really a part of the game, UCLA changed it up with the timless gold accents that let you know you were up against hoops royalty.

Year: 1997 - 2000

Cincinnati's Jordan Brand debut still stands as the strongest of any school. Cat scratch fever spread to the AAU and high school ranks with tons of programs biting the blocked paneling and cut off sleeves. Is great gear just written into Bob Huggins' contracts?

Year: 2012

The tiger camo on Baylors uniforms make even Supreme wearing hipsters a fan of the Big 12 squad. adidas brought the competition to Nike's Elite line with its creative concept of the loud neon home jerseys fresh out of a fraternity marker party.

Year: 1999 - 2003

Once Rock Chalk inked with Nike, the Jayhawks and their mascot blew up in a big way. The fly bird found its way onto the arched trunks and tons of other gear, while Paul Pierce, Kirk Hinrich, and Aaron Miles took the tops to the top of the rankings.

Year: 1997 - 2000

Miami basketball might not ring out in the streets the way "The U's" football team does, but Nike still came correct with their shorts and jerseys to wrap up the 20th-century. The big "M" along with the orange and black lettering had kids copping from Eastbay even though they likely were unable to name a starter.

Year: 1996 - 2003

Not only did Syracuse sport the best logo in college basketball during this era, they also claimed title for best shorts. Swooped and streamlined, their trunks were a fashion statement on their own, still pairing perfectly with their fun font and colors. Jersey sales from Jason Hart, Preston Shumpert, and Carmelo Anthony only added to the juice.

Year: 1970s & 1980s

Looking good on the likes of George Karl, Michael Jordan, and Kenny Smith, the powder blue has prevailed through the throwback era for a truly timeless look. The heel sporting shorts capture cool, while the jerseys need just two lines of text to make a statement.

Year: 2010

Nike turned the lights out on conventional branding by putting black names and logos on Oregon's already black uniforms. Like most college blackouts, memories are scarce with rare apperances causing many to wonder if these ever actually happened.

Year: 1992 - 1994

After 1992, college basketball was never the same. The Fab Five rocked baggy shorts, played with some major swag, and took the game by storm. The look was one of the most-imitated looks in basketball history, even Mike and company had to jack the style.

Year: 1995 - 1996

No revolutions in wardrobe, no gimmicks, and no room for replication, the Iverson era Hoya uniforms are simply the most hip-hop get-ups to ever hit the hardwood. Kente-cloth has since stayed a staple of Georgetown jerseys, but never as brash as the days when AI and Victor Page were crushing it in the capital.