Rank the MBB's Jerseys Throughout the Years (With Pictures)

Submitted by UMFanatic96 on February 6th, 2019 at 10:19 AM

Michigan will be wearing "Throwback" uniforms when they play MSU in a few weeks which got me thinking about the past uniforms Michigan has worn. I have compiled a few options with pictures and would like for you guys to rank them from best to worst. 

You can either rank them by era or be super specific and give your top 5 individual uniforms.

Current Jordan Brand White, Maize, and Blue:michigan-uniforms-inline.jpg

Mid/Late 80s
1989_ncaa_free_throw_-rumeal_robinson-_01.jpg

Fab Five Era
1991 fab five.jpgFab Five White.jpgFab Five Blue.jpg

Late 90s/Early 2000's
2000 michigan basketball.jpg

Addidas
399x6003_0.jpgshorts.jpg

UMFanatic96

February 6th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^

Rank by Era:                                                            Top 5 Uniforms:

1.) Fab Five Uniforms                                               1.) Fab Five Maize

2.) Current                                                                2.) Current Maize

3.) 80's                                                                     3.) Fab Five White

4.) Addidas                                                               4.) Current White

5.) Later 90s/Early 2000s                                         5.) Current Blue

NotADuck

February 6th, 2019 at 11:26 AM ^

I agree with everything in your rankings but the 80's jerseys are the worst for me.  The tops are fine but the shorts are absolutely horrendous especially when paired with the tops.  As a whole it looks like Michigan didn't know what look it was trying to go for and because of that the uniform has no direction whatsoever.

If those tops were paired with a solid colored bottom then I'd rank them 3rd as well.

Whirled Peas

February 6th, 2019 at 3:12 PM ^

Its hard for me to "hate" the only jerseys we cut down the nets in.  The Fab 5 jerseys created a seismic shift in basketball fashion that can still be felt today, so I agree, hard to not make them #1.  At the same time, too much nostalgia wrapped up in the 80's gear to put them below the train wreck jerseys of the 90's/2000's.

The Maize Halo

February 6th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^

Fab 5 era, of course.  Jordan's current lettering (our custom lettering or whatever it is) is too small and squished together.  Also, your picture doesn't have it, but I hate the little circle M tag under the neck they started putting on the jerseys this season.

Reggie Dunlop

February 6th, 2019 at 10:35 AM ^

1) Fab 5. Simple, clean, classic, traditional. Fits the style and attitude of Michigan.

2) Current. Similar to the Fab 5'ers. Don't like the current Nike font compared to the taller letters of the 90s. And they've got that weird Jordan fit with the sports bra back, and they seem to be forcing the short shorts. The weird, shiny numbers on the blues. Style is right, but too many weird quirks.

3) 1989 team. Too busy. Too much happening. But a fun throwback that immediately sparks good memories.

4) Everything else. Stupid Adidas piping and tire treads and maize font on maize background and just bad ideas all around. Like the football uni, you have to be actively trying to screw up a Michigan uniform. Obviously, plenty have actively tried.

njvictor

February 6th, 2019 at 10:52 AM ^

I don't think they're "forcing" the short-shorts. I think thats just how players have started wearing shorts nowadays. Also, the "sports bra" back is for performance reasons. Allows for less material around the joint and more unimpeded range of motion

mGrowOld

February 6th, 2019 at 10:39 AM ^

You left off the best one IMO.  Absolutely clean lines and perfectly done (and quite similar to the Fab 5 unis).   The mid-60's Cazzie Russell era unis.

Image result for cazzie russell michigan

Blue and Joe

February 6th, 2019 at 10:44 AM ^

You left out a lot of the Adidas uniforms. When Zack Novak and co. first arrived, Adidas was basically using the Fab Five template, just with a brighter Maize. Then there was the thick collar era and the Trey Burke era with the fade on the shorts.

ZACK-NOVAK-thumb-537x400-29701.jpg

uspw_6026898.jpg

Trey_Burke_Dec_2012.jpg

stephenrjking

February 6th, 2019 at 12:01 PM ^

The Burke/Stauskas era Adidas uniforms feature in some of the most iconic moments in the history of the program. They have some uneven elements, but winning makes uniforms grow on you and even without that I actually rather like them (I don't get a lot of accessories anymore, but I have all three colors of shorts from that era to wear around the house). 

This is, frankly, a fatal mistake for the thread. Leaving out huge swaths of uniform history makes this kind of exercise impossible.

UMxWolverines

February 6th, 2019 at 10:47 AM ^

There's a pretty big gap in there between the POS ones we wore when Jamal Crawford was here to adidas. I think these ones were pretty good, better than what we have now. The ones we have now just look like Fab Five knockoffs. 

gettyimages-73538049-612x612.jpg

tee wrecks

February 6th, 2019 at 10:52 AM ^

Wasn't the one with just the "M" on the front (the Jamal Crawford image in the OP) just an alternate that was only used a couple times?  I thought the main jersey that year had "Michigan" spelled out in full.

Whatever your other preferences, the Adidas "tire-tracks-across-the-shorts" look has to take last place by a mile.

[My cool story, Bro:] I was an undergrad during the Fab Five years.  I don't think State Street Sports even exists anymore, but back then I believe it had some affiliation with the M-Den and the Athletic Department.  When Webber declared for the draft, they had two or three authentic Webber jerseys that they claimed were directly from the Athletic Department.  They even had the Webber name sewn on on the back.  Selling a jersey with the name on the back was a no-no under the NCAA rules, but apparently this was cleared because they were intended for game use and only resold when they turned out to be extras (or at least that was the story).  This was before the Ed Martin stench, so I snapped one up.  It's been in my closet for 25+ years and only worn a couple times.  I'm 6'0" and it is huge on a normal sized person.