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Top 10 NCAA basketball throwback jerseys

Bill Walton won two consecutive NCAA Championships at UCLA. (Courtesy of ncaa.com)

Alexander J. Salucco
Connector Editor

A quarter-length sleeve shirt and knee-length padded pants – imagine Lebron James barreling down the lane in that. In the early 1900s, that was the appropriate attire. After compiling this list of NCAA basketball throwback jerseys and realizing I saw half of these guys play in my lifetime, I feel old.

10. Marcus Camby – UMass Minutemen

This is the first top 10 list that the town of Amherst will see in a long time. The “U” and the “Mass” across the chest are in different fonts – classic Amherst.

9. Len Bias – Maryland Terrapins

This is the last jersey to be worn by perhaps the best player to never play at the professional level. The standard red and white is okay, but the alternate red and yellow is other-worldly.

8. Allen Iverson – Georgetown Hoyas

The Georgetown gray and blue is simultaneously plain and busy. Iverson balled on the Big East while looking like a 12-year-old. This jersey makes for a perfect stocking stuffer, as it is half the size of your standard stocking (do-rag sold separately).

7. Steve Nash – Santa Clara Broncos

Here is a simple, but unique, jersey. Until recently I thought a white T-shirt was included with purchase. I saw somebody rocking this on Clearwater Beach and hugged them without initiating any conversation – top five decision I have ever made.

6. Christian Laettner – Duke Blue Devils

This might be the most purchased jersey that was bought with the intention to be burned. With that being said, the classic, clean Duke jersey is a staple in any jersey collection.

5. Michael Jordan – North Carolina Tar Heels

This would be higher if you could go one week without seeing somebody wearing this.

4. Ervin “Magic” Johnson – Michigan State Spartans 

A frequent selection among NBA fans, but Johnson revolutionized the point guard position. You cannot forget about the cursive “State” across the chest, either.

3. Bill Walton – UCLA Bruins

There might not be a better colorway in sports than the UCLA gold and blue, and there definitely is not a better model for them than Bill Walton. If you accompany that with the headband, locks and pasty white legs, it is a thing of beauty.

2. Larry Bird – Indiana State Sycamores

Often mistaken for a Tar Heel jersey from behind, this rarity is a gem. The first “I” in “Indiana” is shaped like the state of Indiana. It is not the most aesthetically pleasing jersey, but it screams old-school.

1. Dennis Rodman – Southeastern Oklahoma State Savage Storm

The small Division II school that introduced Dennis Rodman to the world has the best nickname in college sports: “Savages.” The word is displayed across the chest of the jersey. If there was one person on this Earth that embodied a “Savage,” it is Rodman. The NBA’s most tenacious rebounder had over 2,800 career fouls and certainly played his career like a savage.

I am a proud graduate of Beverly High School and a senior at UMass Lowell majoring in English and minoring in digital media. In addition to being a staff writer and the Managing Editor for The Connector, I am also the Sports Director at the college's radio station, WUML. If you want to talk to me directly about any of my works, feel free to email me at Alexander_Salucco@student.uml.edu. Catch me every UMass Lowell Hokcey home game on 91.5 fm.

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