Basketball gets new look

The+UW-Whitewater+men%E2%80%99s+basketball+team+displays+their+new+uniforms.+The+new+primary+white+jersey+hangs+on+the+far+left.+Updated+black+and+purple+jerseys+hang+in+the+middle.+A+retro-style+jersey+hangs+on+the+far+right.+Photo+courtesy+of+Pat+Miller.%0A

The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team displays their new uniforms. The new primary white jersey hangs on the far left. Updated black and purple jerseys hang in the middle. A retro-style jersey hangs on the far right. Photo courtesy of Pat Miller.

Ryan Baker, Men’s Sports Assistant Editor

The UW-Whitewater men’s basketball team will be wearing new uniforms this season. Head coach Pat Miller and the players were able to create a new set of uniforms for the 2022-23 season thanks to a rotation which allows the team to get new uniforms every three to four years. 

A few changes have been made from the previous ones. There will now be a Nike logo on the upper chest as opposed to the Jumpman logo. In addition, the color scheme was switched up a bit using gray ribbing as opposed to black. A throwback has also been introduced.

Unknown to many people, the colors of UW-Whitewater used to be purple and yellow gold. The team plans on bringing back that very same yellow gold this season. The colors will be used as a retro set throughout the season, in particular at the Alumni game.

The biggest difference may not be as keen to the eye in plain sight. This year’s uniforms are made from a different material. The jersey type that will be showcased are sublimated jerseys, similar to the likes of Nike dri-fit material. This allows for a smoother touch to the skin, better air flow, and a lighter weight overall.

One of the things that sets Miller aside from many college basketball coaches is that he makes sure that he gets the input of his players in the process of ordering new uniforms. They had a say in everything; the material, fonts, colors, logos, all of it.

“It’s me, our players, actually Derek Gray was pretty active in that process. We went back and forth quite a bit with different designs and different fonts and everything,” Miller said. “We just do it with our staff, and obviously we get our players input because we want to get stuff that they like.”

Another thing to look out for during the season will be how the team honors Derek Gray, a team leader who died during the summer. Whether through a patch, arm band, or something else of the sort, the team will carry on his legacy for years to come.

“Yeah, I anticipate we will. We haven’t specifically decided what we are going to do. We are looking at different options, but we will certainly do something,” Miller said.

The team will certainly look good doing so. After all, you look good, you feel good, you play good. At least, that’s what Miller was taught when he played in high school. Looking uniformed is part of the game, but that doesn’t just happen in the blink of an eye.

Miller has help from a long-time sales rep. from the country’s largest distributor of sports apparel and equipment company, BSN Sports. Steve Landish has worked with Miller for many years, and it makes the process incredibly easy for the team and himself.

“Working with Coach Miller is very easy, he kind of leaves it up to me. I know he’s a busy guy, and he knows I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I certainly know Nike products very well,” Landish said. So it’s pretty straightforward, pretty easy working with him. He and I have a great relationship, so it’s been nice working with him.”

         All of these moving parts worked together over the previous spring and summer to help work the process along to come out with these new uniform sets. 

Get ready to see the Warhawks in new threads this year. They will definitely look good, and we will see if that translates to the game on the court.