Canes Hoops Swag Guide

Canes Hoops has had a very eventful season, reaching such lofty heights of being ranked #6 in the country. This last week saw Miami fall back down to earth, as the Canes lost 3 of 4 games which caused us to find ourselves outside of the top 25 for the first time this season. While Coach Larranaga made some positive strides in rectifying the situation, the Canes had an encouraging showing on Sunday, defeating NC State 86-81, one game is not enough of a sample size to prove that all is well in Coral Gables. In the meantime, let’s take a look at something the Canes always do well, which is look good on the floor.

Miami has always had an iconic look based around the school’s unique colors. The combination of orange, green, and white (and black from time to time) is closely linked to the school in South Florida, and is not replicated very often anywhere else. Early on in the season, we were treated to 3 new threads to go with our current rotation of white, orange, and green uniforms. Here are all the Canes Hoops uniforms ranked from worst to best:

#6 Green Standard Set

Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

Miami has gone with this look in their last 2 road games. The white and orange really pop on top of Miami's green, however the orange text/numbers are difficult to read on top of the green with no outline. Like all of Miami's standard sets, this set features adidas' brainchild in the form of a patterned hoop around the lower hip on the shorts. This design element itself isn't the worst thing in the world, but the location of it is very awkward, giving the illusion that all of the players have extremely long torsos or shorts that are falling off.

#5 Standard Orange Set

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Canes second away game option shows up next on our list, as the orange variation of the current template catches the eye a little more than the green option. The lettering and numbers are much easier to read with the colors flipped, and once again, the trademark palm frond belt makes an appearance.

#4 Standard Home White Set

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

This is the signature look for this Canes team, as we'll see this uniform more than any other this season. The green and orange are always great accent colors on top of white, and the lettering and numbers are easy to read. This uniform is weighed down by the awkward shorts (I can't say it enough), but overall is a solid representation of the program.

#3 Alternate Gray Set

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Someone at Adidas decided to be really creative with this set, and I don't hate it. Gone is the signature shorts pattern (a trend you'll notice) and is replaced with a modern, bold but less specific color block. The darker shade of gray on top of the light gray is an interesting combination, and while I enjoy the choice of orange as the color that ties this uni back to the school, we once again run into the issue of reading letters and numbers in a bright color on a somewhat neutral canvas. This set was somewhat secretive, as it was only worn once, on a Saturday game early in the season against Princeton, which was played on the same night as the Football team's appearance in the ACC Championship Game. I wouldn't mind seeing this set again this season.

#2 Alternate Black Set

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

In our first top 25 matchup of the season, the Canes traveled up to Minnesota to take on a surging Golden Gophers squad. Miami unveiled these black alternates on national TV and took down the 12th ranked squad. The arena was filled with gold (or yellow) for this big matchup, and that highlighted these uniforms even more. The standout element is the monochrome black U logo on the chest in lieu of the Miami wordmark, but the asymmetrical piping (orange on one side and green on the other) and the silver accents add to the allure of this set. The outline on the shorts even makes a U if you see this uniform from the back. The Canes brought this uniform back out for the Hawaii tournament.

#1 Alternate Orange Set

Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

My top ranked set is the orange alternate uniform the Canes rolled out for their matchup with George Washington. Adidas went ultra-clean with this one, as the green lettering and numbers are the only variation from the bold orange look, and it works. This set really looks like a new-and-improved version of #5 from this list. Let's hope Miami brings this uniform back out before the season is done.