Image via Complex Original
Written by Peter Walsh (@Peter_M_Walsh)
The NCAA Tournament is set, and for the rest of the month all attention shifts towards college basketball. While most of the country is cramming to try and create the perfect bracket, sneakerheads know the college kids that have been putting in footwear work all season long.
Without question, Nike and Jordan dominate March Madness, outfitting 45 of this year's tournament teams. adidas is the second brand, sponsoring 18 teams, while Under Armour has a handful. And after studying all the competitors in the NCAA Tournament field, we decided to re-seed. This will not help you win the billion-dollar bracket, but check out Ranking the 20 Best Teams in the NCAA Tournament (By Sneakers)
RELATED: The 20 Best Sneakers Worn on Selection Sunday
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Louisville Cardinals
Team: Louisville Cardinals
Sponsored by: adidas
Outfitted by adidas, the Cardinals wore Crazy 8s, Top Ten 2000s, and D Roses during the season. Despite the breadth of PE sneakers, the defending champs were a little disrespected with a 4-seed this year, given they just won the AAC and are playing some of the best ball in the country, but that shouldn’t stop them from making a deep run.
Villanova Wildcats
Team: Villanova Wildcats
Sponsored by: Nike
The Wildcats enter the Tournament on a down note after getting bumped by Seton Hall in the Big East quarterfinals, but that shouldn’t affect the team's sneaker game. A collection of Kobes, LeBron Soldier VIIs, KDs, and Hyperdunks are the favorite amongst Wildcat players.
Providence Friars
Team: Providence Friars
Sponsored by: Nike
The Friars got hot at the right time and knocked off Doug McDermott and the Creighton Blue Jays to win the Big East Championship and earn a Tournament bid. During the Big East Tournament, the Friars weren’t only the top team of the week, they also had the best sneakers. Bryce Cotton won Tournament MVP in Kobe 8s, Kadeem Batts rocked the newly released Melo M10 “Pure Platinum” colorway, and forward Tyler Harris wore a pair of “Bordeaux” Jordan VII’s so worn they had slight holes in them. Providence drew a tough matchup with North Carolina, which should be both a great game to watch both for the level of play and to see which team wears the better sneakers.
Kansas Jayhawks
Team: Kansas Jayhawks
Sponsored by: adidas
Boasting two of the top players in the NCAA in Andrew Wiggins and the now-injured Joel Embiid, the Jayhawks romped through the regular season and earned a two seed in the Big Dance. The Three Stripes laced Kansas with great colorways of the Crazy Light 3, D Rose 773 2, and the Crazy Light 2.
Michigan State Spartans
Team: Michigan State Spartans
Sponsored by: Nike
The Spartans’ green and white color scheme makes for a great sneaker colorway and almost every member of the roster favored the KD VI’s at one point or another. The Spartans got creative with their KD choices as star shooting guard Gary Harris and forward Denzel Valentine each rocked different iD versions of the VI. Nike also created a special PE version of the sneaker when the team wore their Hyper Elite Dominance uniforms.
Wichita State Shockers
Team: Wichita State Shockers
Sponsored by: Nike
The lone undefeated team in the nation, the Shockers are a group of unheralded players that come from different backgrounds. The one thing they have in common (outside of skills) is a great taste in sneakers. From star player to the end of the bench, each Wichita State player has a different style. Leading scorer Cleanthony Early showed his affinity for retro Air Jordans. Point guard Fred VanVleet is more partial to Nike Kobes, while Junior Tekele Cotton wears “Prism” LeBron Xs and Air Penny Vs.
UMass Minutemen
Team: UMass Minutemen
Sponsored by: adidas
The Minutemen are returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, and are doing so in style. Senior guard Chaz Williams is one of the most electric players in the country and lit up the Atlantic 10 Conference this season in the adidas “Crazy 97”. Junior forward Maxie Esho rocked different versions of the DRose’s, including the “Boardwalk” colorway, and the OG colorway of the Crazy 8.
UConn Huskies
Team: UConn Huskies
Sponsored by: Nike
The Huskies have one of the most talented backcourts in the NCAA in Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright. While the two play together in the flow of the game, there definitely seems to be an unacknowledged competition about who can bring out the hotter sneakers. Napier has rocked the Kobe 9 Elite “Masterpiece”, “Playoff” Jordan XIs, “Diffused Jade” LeBron XIs, and “Gamma Blue” Jordan XIs. Not to be outdone, Boatright has worn “Powder Blue” and “Steel” Jordan Xs and “He Got Game” Jordan XIIIs. Together, the two make up the most sneaker-conscious backcourt in the Tournament.
UCLA Bruins
Team: UCLA Bruins
Sponsored by: adidas
One of the most historic programs in NCAA basketball, the Bruins added another chapter to their history by knocking off Arizona and taking home the Pac-12 Championship. With the iconic blue and gold uniform, adidas has been able to outfit the Bruins in clean sneaker colorways. Earlier in the season, adidas equipped the team with a special colorway of the Crazy 8. Big ups to Kareem.
Iowa State Cyclones
Team: Iowa State Cyclones
Sponsored by: Nike
A trendy Final Four pick, the Cyclones had one of the best seasons in the win-loss column and in the sneaker world. The Big 12 Champs flashed their favor for Jordans all season with both Will Clyburn and Georges Niang wearing “Cool Grey” Jordan IXs, while Percy Gibson wore the “Raptor” Jordan VIIs, and Melvin Ejim wore Jordan Is.
Duke Blue Devils
Team: Duke Blue Devils
Sponsored by: Nike
The Blue Devils have one of the strongest kick games in college basketball off the strength of freshman phenom Jabari Parker’s collection alone. Parker, the ACC Freshman of the Year, wore LeBron VII PS “Blackout” samples, Nike Shox BB4’s, “Cool Grey” LeBron VIIs, “All Star” editions of Lebron VII V2s, and PE LeBron X Elites. That’s just scratching the surface of the Chicago native’s extensive sneaker collection and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him bring out another rare pair for the Tournament.
Parker certainly wore the most heat throughout the season, but his teammates were no slouches. Guard Tyler Thornton was seen in Duke PEs of the KD VI, forward Rodney Hood and guard Andre Dawkins were both spotted in LeBron VII Soldiers and forward Marshall Plumlee rocked the “Prism” colorway of the LeBron Xs.
Kentucky Wildcats
Team: Kentucky Wildcats
Sponsored by: Nike
The youngest team in the nation showed kicks knowledge well beyond its years and put together one of the strongest sneaker performances of the season. Sharpshooting guard-forward James Young wore every available Kobe 9 Elite model and the “Powder Blue” Air Jordan X, while Andrew Harrison rocked the “Gamma Blue” Jordan XI. In the front court, superstar freshman Julius Randle wore the “Playoff” Jordan XIIs and shot blocking force Willie Cauley-Stein went with the Air Jordan XX8.
Arizona Wildcats
Team: Arizona Wildcats
Sponsored by: Nike
A legit National Championship contender, the Wildcats have a long history in dope sneakers ever since Mike Bibby debuted the Nike Air Foamposite One during the ‘97 Final Four. This year's version of the Wildcats are led by freshman Aaron Gordon, Pac-12 Player of the Year Nick Johnson, and freshman forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. With some of the best uniforms in the NCAA, ‘Zona’s players accentuated the blue and red color scheme with a rotation of Nike Hyperrevs, Hyperdisruptors, and different iD versions of the KDVI. Even Arizona’s injured players have serious footwear as forward Brandon Ashley was recently seen on the sideline in the “Last Shot” version of the Air Jordan XIVs.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Team: North Carolina Tar Heels
Sponsored by: Jordan Brand
It should be no surprise that the only Jordan Brand team in the Tournament found its way high on this list. The classic Carolina blue uniforms make any white sneaker pop and this year’s roster brought out heat all season long. Point guard Marcus Paige rocked iD Jordan CP3.VIIs, while James Michael McAdoo and J.P. Tokoto threw it back by wearing the “Powder Blue” Jordan Xs.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Team: Ohio State Buckeyes
Sponsored by: Nike
The Buckeyes had an up and down season, but their footwear is always on-point. LeBron James has always shown love to his homestate Buckeyes and the team frequently wears different PEs of the LeBron line including the IXs, the Zoom Soldier IIIs, LeBron XIs, and Zoom Soldier VIIs.
Florida Gators
Team: Florida Gators
Sponsored by: Nike
The current number-one team in the nation, the Gators’ players boast one of the top sneaker collections in the NCAA. A balanced and senior-laden team, the Gators have shown nice sneaker variety throughout the season. In the backcourt, sophomore guard Michael Frazier II has worn both “Bobcats” Jordan Xs and Nike Kobe 8. Senior point guard Scottie Wilbekin has been seen in “Gamma” Jordan XIs, and guard Kasey Hill has rocked the “Bright Crimson” Jordan IIIs and 2014 “Carbon Fiber” Flightposites. Up front, senior center Patric Young wears “Flint” Jordan XIIIs and LeBron VII Soldiers while Will Yeguete has worn a dope “Florida” PE of the LeBron XI.
Syracuse Orange
Team: Syracuse Orange
Sponsored by: Nike
One of Nike’s flagship college basketball programs, the Orange seem to have sneaker juggernaut's warehouse at its disposal. All-American candidate C.J. Fair has worn the Air Jordan X “Bobcats”, forward Jerami Grant rocked the Zoom Kobe “Venomenon” IVs, “Texas” KD VIs and Jordan Melo M10 “Year of the Horse”, sharpshooting guard Trevor Cooney rocked the Kobe 8s, and reserve forwards DaJuan Coleman and Tyler Roberson balled in Air Max Hyperposite PEs and “Solar Red” Air Penny Vs, respectively. Superstar point guard Tyler Ennis may have the biggest KD VI collection in college basketball as the Canadian import tore up the ACC in the “Bamboo”, “Energy”, and “DC” versions of Kevin Durant’s signature shoe.
Pitt Panthers
Team: Pitt Panthers
Sponsored by: Nike
Pitt is right up there with the best teams in the ACC—if not ahead of them—in terms of hot sneakers. Senior forward Lamar Patterson has worn everything from LeBron IIIs and Air Jordan XVs to the Kobe 9 Elite “Maestro” . Not to be outdone, redshirt junior guard Cameron Wright has rocked gems like the “Year of the Dragon” KD IV, “Concord” XIs, and the LeBron VII V2 “Yankees”.
San Diego State Aztecs
Team: San Diego State Aztecs
Sponsored by: Nike
The Aztecs have hands-down one of the best sneaker games in college basketball. Whether its rare Jordans or new releases, you name it and someone on San Diego State has worn it this season. Senior guard Xavier Thames has rocked LeBron XIs and playoff Air Jordan XIIIs, sophomore forward Skylar Spencer wore the Air Jordan XX “QS”, KD VI “NYC 66””, and the Hyperflight “Tiger”. Freshman guard D'Erryl Williams plays in Jordan IIIs, and Jordan VII “Raptor” and J.J. O’Brien favors the Kobe 8. Redshirt junior forward Dwayne Polee II apparently has one of the biggest and best sneaker collections in the NCAA—the St. John’s transfer plays in “The Glove”, “Playoff” Jordan XIs, and “True Blue” Jordan IIIs, amongst many, many others.
Oregon Ducks
Team: Oregon Ducks
Sponsored by: Nike
With Nike headquarters right in its backyard, the Ducks hoops squad flashed every new release in amazing Oregon PEs. Ducks like Dominic Artis and Joseph Young all favored PE and iD versions of the KD VI. With Oregon in the Tournament, Nike likely has something up its sleeve with something special for the team to wear.