UCLA unveils new alternate basketball uniforms

HT to JoeBruin for the fanshot earlier today, but I thought these should get more eyes.

Given the disaster that is UCLA's past relationship with adidas and the abomination of some of their alternate uniforms, I was pretty apprehensive when I saw the headline announcing the latest alternate basketball uniforms. Here's one reason why. Here's another. And another. And this one. Are you getting the gist?

Happily, the new ones don't reach that level of awful. Being more of a traditionalist (does that automatically make me a geezer, too?) I'd rather see us in a throwback uniform from headier days, but if we're going with something new (and isn't that all the rage these days?), then these are not too bad with me. The jerseys have a nice classic look. The shorts are unnecessarily busy and would look more appropriate on the soccer field or the volleyball court, but they aren't the eyesore we've gotten in the past.

From the Official Site

The Bruins will feature the newest Made in March Uniform System on-court in their Pac-12 Tournament opener. Fans can grab their Made in March team gear at adidas.com and/or at the UCLA Store on campus or online beginning next week.

adidas is calling these Made In March, which will be particularly cruel if we fall off the bubble and March means NIT in Westwood, something which no one thinks is right.  Also, a blue and a white implies both a home and away version, so I guess someone is expecting at least two games. Optimists!

Just to add a bit more salt to the basketball wound, the uniform also includes three new shoe styles featuring the signature models by NBA stars Damian Lillard, John Wall, and Derrick Rose. Yes, the same Derrick Rose from Memphis who pretty much kept us from advancing to the final game of the 2008 tournament.  Yes, yes, I know…It was Howland who refused to put Westbrook on Rose, and Calipari who didn't make Rose take his SAT or something like that, but it's still that same Derrick Rose that we'll be wearing on our feet in our post season games this year. Sigh.

Why must there always be a sigh?

I'm looking forward to Bill Walton's review. But now that you've seen it, what do you think?

I think…Under Armour.

Go Bruins!