KSR's Kentucky Basketball Uniform Madness (Championship)

Kentucky basketball season is over and the offseason has begun. Draft, transfer and recruiting news is rolling out by the day, starting with the return of Daimion Collins and the departure of Dontaie Allen. Also tucked into the busy news period? New uniforms, specifically uniforms that will not include checkerboards for the first time since 2016.

It’s a breath of fresh air for a program that desperately needs it after zero NCAA Tournament wins since 2019. In-game strategy and roster construction can and will be discussed until everyone is blue in the face, but a new look for the Wildcats isn’t a bad place to start. That’s coming next season.

What will the fancy new uniforms look like? That remains up in the air, as there is no timeline for an official announcement or roll out from the school. In case the design team is looking for a starting point (or to use outright, preferably), though, two of the best graphic designers in the Commonwealth put together some mock-ups for inspiration. Brandon Owen (@75toRupp) and Jo Jo Stephens (@MrJoJoStephens) cooked up some absolute masterpieces to celebrate the fresh start.

Now is where Big Blue Nation comes in. With so many options to choose from, it’s up to the fanbase to pick the favorites and declare a uniform champion. Just like March Madness, the uniforms have been seeded and spread across a bracket. There were 16 uniforms to start with between the two graphic designers, eight apiece in their own regions. After three rounds, we are now down to just two total combos, with fans selecting their favorite uniform in the final matchup.

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The Sweet 16 took place on Friday, followed by the Elite Eight on Saturday, Final Four on Sunday and championship on ~~Monday~~ Tuesday. A champion will be crowned on Wednesday.

Who knows, maybe UK Athletics will take a note or two?

Championship Round

It all comes down to this, a battle of No. 1 seeds, one white and one blue.

@75toRupp‘s representative in the finals has a Joe B. Hall decal on the right shoulder with blue letters and numbers and white stripes down the sides. The Jordan Brand uniform has a slightly curved nameplate to go with eight gold stars at the left hip to represent the program’s eight national championships.

As for @MrJoJoStephens‘ finalist, it’s a rounded look with curved letters and stars wrapped around the centered number to form a circle. It’s a clean blue and white look from Nike with the words “Fight, Fight, Fight, for the Blue & White” also included inside the jersey on the neck.