UAB-KANSAS
Kansas gets rejected quickly: “Looks homemade.” UAB is praised for its color combination and “scale of lettering.”
UAB-NEVADA
One of the closest matchups of the tournament. Despite Nevada’s “strong shoulders,” UAB prevails with its “complexity” “strong font” and “smart detailing down the sides.”
GEORGIA TECH-NEVADA
Nevada’s wider shoulder straps and “Pack” insignia at the neck give it the edge over GT’s jersey, which is dismissed for amateurish lettering.
ST. JOE’S-WAKE FOREST
Wake’s lettering and “Demon Deacon” insignia trounce St. Joseph’s, with its awkward design (“Why did they split the name?”) and screened lettering (“so high school”).
WAKE FOREST-OKLAHOMA STATE
Lucky to advance to the Elite 8 with a weak Sweet 16 opponent, Wake Forest’s “plain” uniform is way out of its class against Oklahoma State’s “fresh” style. “Great variety and lines.”
PITTSBURGH-OKLAHOMA STATE
“If this were a movie,” one judge said of Pitt, “it would be scary.” Oklahoma State wins with a distinctive font and sharp accents (“it’s interesting”).
UAB-OKLAHOMA STATE
Whereas UAB was complimented for its color scheme in earlier rounds, it “looks drab” compared with Oklahoma State’s “vibrant, cleaner color combination.” Of OSU, judges say: “It just has more going on. . . . And I like those three stripes.”
OKLAHOMA STATE-DUKE
Duke’s “classic” look took it this far, but it could not run with Oklahoma State’s visual agility, which one judge said “took something classic and added something new.” “The colors, in particular the number,” another said, “brought something to the party that Duke did not.”
DUKE-SYRACUSE
Syracuse is “more hip-hop. Trendier. But trends are not necessarily a good thing.” Duke “could have had this classy design for the last 50 years and it could keep it for the next 50.” One judge then summed it up: “Duke is the Ralph Lauren. Syracuse is the Sean John.” Lauren wins. Duke advances.
TEXAS-DUKE
The “X” factor was formidable, but Duke is hailed again for its “classic” and “balanced” approach. “I love the fact that it looks like a cheerleader’s uniform,” one judge said in all seriousness. “It’s very feminine, in a good way.”
SYRACUSE-VANDERBILT
A rout. Vanderbilt “just doesn’t cut it.” “Not compelling at all.” In this one, the judges bled orange: Syracuse shows “good balance” “and excellent spacing between its letters and that bold number.”
DUKE-ILLINOIS
Not even close. Hometown fave Illinois’ shimmery material and “odd” number style (“a shirt you’d see on the ‘L’.”) is no match for Duke’s “classic, old-school look.”
TEXAS-XAVIER
Although Texas earns points for the scale of its numbers to its lettering, its “blandness” was its undoing against Xavier’s bold design. And, as one judge said, “I like that X.”
ALABAMA-SYRACUSE
‘Bama shows nice details, but Syracuse rolls with the bold white stripes and the thin blue piping and its strong, legible lettering.
VANDERBILT-CONNECTICUT
UConn is a disaster, with mismatched lettering, a “feminine” neckline, anemic striping and a flag so small it looks “like a stain.” Vandy advances despite its legibility problems.
– Meet the style panel. Page 4
– Vote for your favorite jersey at Chicagotribune.com/Sweet16
