Power Ranking Kentucky Basketball Uniforms

Earlier this week UniWatch ranked the top jerseys of teams in the Sweet Sixteen.  None of those uniforms are Kentucky's so to fill that void, I've ranked Kentucky Basketball jerseys from worst to first. I apologize in advance for not including uniforms from the early 20th century jerseys. I know you people love your coveralls on the court.  From 1990 until now, we will start from the bottom.  Let's roll. [caption id="attachment_196814" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Photo by USA TODAY Sports[/caption] I rock Kentucky Denim. Let's be honest, you knew the worst jersey in UK history before you clicked on this article. This uniform is not just ranked as the worst in school history, but most rankings by national blogs have this near the top all-time. Converse decided that it would be a great idea to lace the future national champs with a jean jacket and jorts on their way to a title. For such a great era of Kentucky Basketball, the jerseys were awful. There were blue and white versions of this combo that UK rocked in 1995. I understand why Kentucky dropped Converse and went to Nike. [caption id="attachment_196855" align="aligncenter" width="380"] Sporting News[/caption] Good grief, Converse. It isn't that hard. This was just a bad era for uniforms. The zebra stripes preceded the icicles and the denims of 1995-96.  Another issue with the mid-90s uniforms was the Cat logo. This logo has all but gone away after the use of them on 1990's shorts. [caption id="attachment_196851" align="aligncenter" width="600"] USA TODAY Sports[/caption] I don't have an issue with teams bringing in an alternate color, but the design of these were flawed. The gray numerals on the gray base color looks off. You can't tell from the above pic, but there were seven huge stars and a diagonal UK logo from the numbers to the bottom. Also, names should be below the numbers only on retro jerseys. [caption id="attachment_196853" align="aligncenter" width="600"] USA TODAY Sports[/caption] The NIT bound Cats wore these in the 2012-13 season. The logo in the center of the jersey was weird and the fact that each jersey said "Kentucky" rather than the player's name ruined these uniforms. They always looked like practice jerseys to me. [caption id="attachment_196856" align="aligncenter" width="380"] FanSided[/caption] This was the last year Kentucky had a more generic design. The jersey is fine, but the shorts lost it for me with the stripe. The cursive lettering is cool on the bottom, but the blue swirl was unnecessary. I love the Fab Five uni in the pic, though. [caption id="attachment_196998" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports[/caption] One of lesser desirable uniforms of the Cal-era were the 2015 Hyper Elites. I didn't understand the white lettering with blue trim on a white top. There were no designs on the back and no checkerboard on the shorts. Kind of a boring, bland design that somehow found it's way to UK. [caption id="attachment_196996" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Icon SMI[/caption] This is similar to the gray jerseys for me because it was so unnecessary. These uniforms were made for the loss to Baylor in Dallas. The numerals and letters were shiny and there were charcoal checkers on the sides. Naturally, the uniforms needed to match up with Baylor's highlighters. I have no problem with the honoring of Mr. Wildcat, but the black stripe and outlined "K" did not look right together. Either one would have been fine by themselves. The blue jerseys looked even stranger with a black K and the black stripe on the right shoulder. These jerseys were pretty consistent throughout the Tubby Smith era. There was nothing flashy about the white homes and blue roads. The main change through this time was the stripes on the side. [caption id="attachment_197026" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Icon SMI.[/caption] This design broke the long string of mundane designs in the 2000's, but it wasn't a fantastic design. The were worn into the 2009 season before UK moved to the current, basic design. I like the undertone of blue checkerboard and the championship bricks on the shorts. But once again, horizontal stripes hurt this design. [caption id="attachment_196997" align="aligncenter" width="600"] BigBlueHistory.net[/caption] I like these a lot more than any of the jerseys in the early Tubby-era. The lettering was cool and the blue and white striped trim was a simple, nice design. It was also a nice escape from the hurricane of terribleness that was 1993-96 in uniforms. [caption id="attachment_170855" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Andy Lyons | Getty Images[/caption] Simplicity at its finest. These jersey's have seen little change in the 2010's under Calipari. These teams have been all about the players and not about what their wearing (Take note, Adidas). The only senses of flair are the graphics in the mesh of the back and the checkerboard on the shorts. In 2011-13, there were small stripes near the sleeves and neck area. With as many ridiculous jerseys as we see in college basketball today, these are a solid design. This was a special night all around. Kentucky honored Bill Keightley with these special jerseys. The longtime equipment manager's name laced on the back symbolized how much Mr. Wildcat meant to the program. The key to a good alternate jersey [caption id="attachment_196995" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Icon SMI[/caption] The throwback uniforms were part of a league-wide retro look. The classic lettering and retro logo on the shorts really made this a great look. This look was the penultimate UK design from the 1950's up until zebra stripes were introduced, but Nike did a great job of bringing this design into the 21st century. The lettering and simple design mixed with the baggyness of today's uniforms made a great pair.