And, as the Hokies, the new uniforms are on fire.
Walking into the men's basketball wardrobe closet was like starting at the top of the key and attempting to make a mad dash for a lay-up against Jeff Allen: You not only feel intimidated, but you realize how small you are.
As a girl who appreciates good style and fashion, I must say I was impressed -- and quite jealous. First of all, the size of the closet alone was enough to make Coco Chanel envious. And just looking up, seeing folded shorts and boxes of basketball shoes neatly arranged on the left-hand shelves and the organized jerseys hung on the rack to the right, I started to wish I played basketball again just for the outfits. And that doesn't make me prissy at all.
I was kindly ushered into the gargantuan closet -- which is appropriate considering the height of most basketball players -- where assistant equipment manager Eric Cross pulled a jersey off its hanger, picked up a pair of shorts and let me closely examine the team's new duds.
There are three different colored uniforms, from white for home games to the staple maroon and orange sets. I particularly enjoyed how the maroon uniform is an inversion of the orange one. For example, the maroon jersey has "Virginia Tech" stitched on the front whereas the orange has "Hokies." The maroon shorts have "Hokies" stitched along the side of the leg whereas the orange have "Virginia Tech." The shorts for the white uniform, on the other hand, have the "VT" symbol embroidered on the side.
Clever, Nike, clever.
At first touch, you immediately understand why members of the team would appreciate such a nice update. The jersey, although comparatively tight and remarkably streamlined, is made of a fabric that feels really light and breathable. Compared to the uniforms in the past -- which, looking at them in the closet, had some obvious wear and tear from court time -- it's definitely a step in the right direction. The sleeves are no longer so wide and will facilitate movement when the guys suddenly have to lunge after the ball. The slight V-neck with a small "VT" patch in its center is also a very nice touch.
The shorts, honestly, kind of worry me -- as I'm sure would worry Larry Bird from the short-shorts era of the '80s. I picked up a pair and put them to my waist to see them droop a little past my knee into my calf. I happen to be 5-foot-11 and considerably long-legged; granted not quite as long as our players, but I wouldn't be surprised to see anyone of them tripping down the court on their shorts. But, nonetheless, the shorts are of really good quality.
I especially liked the little details that you don't really notice until you look closely. Such as, for example, the piped lining along the sides of the shorts that resemble the lines on a basketball. That same lining also runs along the back of the jerseys and centers the number and last name of the player.
Our Hokies might be strong, muscular and powerful, but on the inside, I think they have a little diva in them. The items they go through the most? Shoes. Cross told me that they request new sneakers about every two weeks.
Overall, it's a much more modern and fluid look that will score the team fashion points with about as much value as three-point jumper in the last 10 seconds of the second half.
Our Hokies are certainly on fire -- not just because they're making smart passes and grappling for those rebounds on the court -- their new uniforms are smoking, too.
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