Uni Watch: Ranking the Sweet 16 uniforms, from UNC to A&M

ByPAUL LUKAS
March 23, 2016, 9:24 AM

— --

One note: Each team's ranking is based on the uniform it is expected to wear in the Sweet 16 (as determined by what the team has previously worn in the tournament and its home or road designation for this round). But most schools have several alternate uniforms at their disposal, so it's possible that other designs may appear.

With that proviso in mind, here are our Sweet 16 rankings -- ready, set, argue!

1. North Carolina

As good as it gets, right? The Carolina blue, the school name framing the chest number, the argyle trim on the sides -- that's how it's done. They'd be better off without the sublimated design on the back, which often looks like a sweat stain, but that's the only quibble here. Well done.

2. Kansas

Nothing fancy here, but the Jayhawks' home whites are very easy on the eyes, with their signature Trajan font and just enough red trim to counterpoint the blue elements. One minor gripe, though: Having four patches on the shoulders -- NCAA, Adidas, Big 12, American flag -- seems like a bit much.

3. Indiana

Adidas came up with "creative" March Madness designs for many of its schools, but Indiana, thankfully, escaped unscathed. The classics are classic for a reason, and it doesn't get much more classic than the Hoosiers' vertically arched lettering and double-striped piping on the collar, armholes and shorts. Bonus points, as always, for the candy-striped warm-up pants.

4. Villanova

Classy look. You don't usually want to mix and match too many shades of blue, but the Wildcats' use of navy with light-blue trim on their uni numbers and shorts really works. And in a fortuitous bonus, the light-blue NCAA logo patch fits right into their color scheme.

5. Syracuse

Orange is a badly underrated uniform color, and it rarely has looked better than on Syracuse's home whites -- especially with "Orange" spelled out on the chest. The horizontal stripes on the shorts add a nice bit of flare, and the orange socks provide a firm grounding in the school's signature color.

6. Duke