#67/341 - Delaware State Hornets

I lived in Delaware for a few years and let me tell you, when Delaware State finally found their way out of the MEAC Tournament and into the NCAA's, no one even noticed or cared. But I remember that selection Sunday when they were paired with #1 seed Duke. I remember praying to the basketball gods that if there were ever a 16/1 upset. I remember Duke jumping out to a 10-point lead early, and I remember the Hornets crawling back to take a 20-18 lead midway through the first half. That would be as close as they came. But that brief moment stayed with me.

#66/341 - Connecticut Huskies

Hail to the champs. This jersey is a touch out of date but I'm okay with that.

The Huskies won the NCAA Tournament this past year in a 7-versus-8 seed title game that no one saw coming despite it being between two college basketball blue bloods. It typified the era we live in where there is enough parity in the game that anything is possible. In fact if SMU had won the NIT, they made the finals, we would've had a case where the NIT champions had beaten the NCAA champions twice during the regular season.

#65/341 - Fordham Rams

This is another jersey that I'm willing to believe was team issued. It's also another women's jersey by virtue of the name on the back. You can't see in the pic but the left side has these cool ram logos going up the stripe while the right side has the F's.

Fordham hails from the Bronx,NY and plays out of the Atlantic 10. They've been a bottom dweller in that conference for as long as I can remember and haven't been to the NCAA Tournament in 22 years.

#64/341 - Dayton Flyers

Hey jersey #64, that's an entire NCAA tournament's worth of teams. Especially if you consider those First 4 games to be the complete fraud that they are! All that aside, this jersey is fantastic. The Dayton font is sort of timeless because it matches their logo. Plus it was nice to sport what was the only Cinderella story from this past year.

#63/341 - Oklahoma State Cowboys

Really like the color scheme and the way the name and numbers do this thing. I wish I could talk about some memorable games or moments with the Oklahoma State Cowboys but my mind is drawing a blank. They're one of those teams that screams, "Don't pick us in your bracket, we have no plans to stick around."

I can tell you that their FIRST round game with Gonzaga this past year was easily the most horribly officiated game of shooty hoops I'd seen in a long time.

#62/341 - UCLA Bruins

There's a lot to like about this jersey. Vibrant color, good fit, but I really like the "C" that's different from the rest of the letters though I'm not really sure why. Are they emphasizing that they're from California? That they have no relation to Los Angelas, Montana?

#61/341 - Coastal Carolina Chanticleers

A lot of cool things about this jersey. The color scheme is great, the flag patch is cool and makes me believe it could be team issued, and they made the NCAA Tournament this past year.

Now for some odd trivia. The state of Michigan has Western Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan, etc. A lot of states do this but how do you have these directionally-named schools if your state starts with them. You can't have Northern North Carolina or Eastern South Carolina. Solution? North Carolina has East Carolina and Western Carolina but that means that South Carolina can't use those.

So South Carolina got clever. Their eastern school is called Coastal Carolina, as opposed to Eastern South Carolina, and they have South Carolina Upstate as opposed to North South Carolina. Well it was interesting to me.

#60/341 - Oregon Ducks

Oregon is just cool. I don't remember when it happened but it certainly predates Nike overhauling their uniforms and making confusing decisions about them.

#59/341 - Nevada Wolfpack

This is another game-used ebay purchase. It came from a seller who had an unusual amount of Nevada Wolf Pack jerseys. There is a name on the back so I'll believe on good faith that it was team issued.

This jersey also completes the state of Nevada for me. So another state checked off the map.

#2/50 States - Nevada

#58/341 - Howard Bison

The Howard Bison out of Washington DC are probably most known for their team logo which looks exactly like the Buffalo Bills logo. There is even dispute as to which came up with the logo design first. According to the Bills, their logo was designed in 1974. According to Howard, an art student designed their logo in the 60's but they never trademarked it. And that's the most interesting thing I could say about this jersey.

#57/341 - Florida Gators

This jersey is really nice and pretty close to what the team is currently wearing. If I had one complaint it would be the number 01. Who puts a 0 in front of a 1 like that?

#56/341 - Appalachian State Mountaineers

Okay this thing is hideous and I questioned whether I should even count it. The good people of Boone,NC and Appalachian State deserve better If you're out there Mountaineers, help me replace this abomination.

STATUS: NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. BADLY.

#55/341 - Oakland Grizzlies

Another jersey that I'm fairly sure is team-issued if not game worn. I can't find these selling at retail and it has a name on the back.

The Oakland Grizzlies hail from Rochester, Michigan and currently play in the Horizon League.

#54/341 - Illinois-Chicago Flames

Like the last post, this also qualifies as possibly game-issued women's jersey. Similarly, it doesn't fit and needs to be replaced. However unlike the other one this will never fit barring some horrible accident that involves losing half my torso. I know it's foolish to buy jerseys that don't fit but it's hard to resist them when they cost less than $5.

STATUS: Needs to be replaced.

#53/341 - George Washington Colonials

Speaking of local teams here's another with the George Washington Colonials. My estimations are that this jersey is game worn or at least team-issued because there is a name on the back. It is also too small despite being an XL so I'm guessing it's from the women's team. So as it stands I can't wear it until I slim down a bit more. How ironic is that?

#52/341 - Old Dominion Monarchs

Always nice to get a jersey that gives me local credibility. The Baltimore/DC/Virginia area has 26 D1 teams to speak of.

#51/341 - Washington Huskies

Three really good looking jerseys in a row? I'm on fire. I really like the half-collar thing going on here. I think the term is avant garde?

I would say the Washington Huskies have been relatively obscure in basketball as long as I've been watching but that could easily be West Coast bias. They have been to the Sweet 16 three times in the last decade.

#50/341 - Texas Tech Red Raiders

Jersey number 50 and it's another gorgeous one. I'm not a huge fan of some of Under Armour's designs but their quality is top-notch. I really like this cut on the collar as it is both comfortable and stylish.

As far as the Texas Tech Red Raiders I've always liked them as the bastard children of the state of Texas.

#49/341 - Kansas State Wildcats

This jersey really illustrated just how stylish modern jerseys have become. Almost makes up for the Wildcats being the 3rd best basketball team in a state with only 3 D1 basketball teams.

#48/341 - Tennessee Volunteers

Yes, it's a women's jersey. I hadn't given it much thought when I bought it though I recognized that only the women had the blue accents. But I get asked about this often. Personally I think it's cool. I guess wearing this jersey is like drag for athletic apparel.

#47/341 - Georgia Bulldogs

My first buzzer beater. A fresh faced kid watching his first NCAA Tournament I remember it well. The Georgia Bulldogs, the 8-seed, hit a very late three to take an improbable lead over 4-seeded Syracuse in the Sweet 16. But not to be outdone, John Wallace comes down and drills a line drive dagger into the heart of Georgia.

#46/341 - UNLV Rebels

I know it's hard to tell but there is a jersey there if you look closely. I've since rethought putting these things on a red Ikea rug for photos. This isn't the most beautiful jersey in the world but I'm okay with it.

It's pretty fitting that UNLV and Wake Forest were right after the other because they are both basketball programs defined by the tenure of one player. The Tim Duncan years will personify Wake Forest basketball until someone comes along and changes that. Similarly, the great years of Larry Johnson will be UNLV's legacy until someone redefines it.

In the last few years the Mountain West Conference has moved up in status with the successes of San Diego State, New Mexico, and UNLV, but they have yet to break through and have a significant impact on the national stage.

#45/341 - Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Ah Wake Forest, the bastard children of Tobacco Road. I can scarcely remember a fan base who so loathed their own head coach as Wake Forest fans in recent years. Hopefully Danny Manning can help turn the program around for a school that is the 4th-best team within a country drive of their campus.

#44/341 - Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Like the Stanford Cardinal, I never understood how a team, which by definition is plural, can be named for something singular. I guess you can tell I'm grasping at straws to find something to talk about here.

I can say I didn't have to look up "Golden Hurricane" because somewhere in my mind is the memory of Dick Enberg saying, "The Tulsa Golden Hurricane!" after their Sweet 16 victory over Miami.

#43/341 - Minnesota Golden Gophers

Alaska is the only U.S. state that doesn't have a Division 1 athletic school. Hawaii, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming, and Minnesota have only one. Which means that with jersey Minnesota is the first state I have completely finished. The below picture isn't that impressive since it's a feat of one but it will get better.

1/50 States - Minnesota

#42/341 - Texas A&M Aggies

This too should probably be filed under 'needs to be replaced.' It's got that 90's cut and shape to it but stylistically the Aggies have hardly changed in the last 20 years.

Apart from that all I can say is that Texas A&M in the SEC is one of the more bizarre realignments.

#41/341 - George Mason Patriots

I've been told I need a better GMU jersey and maybe they're right. This is a flimsy promo with a corporate logo on the back that was probably part of a promotional giveaway. I just couldn't resist landing a jersey of the first truly deep-Cinderella run I'd ever witnessed. Every year one or two schools break into the Sweet 16, maybe the Elite 8 if they're very fortunate. When George Mason held off the UConn Huskies to dance their way into the Final 4, it truly felt like we were breaking new ground.

It's also interesting to see that while they and Butler have ridden their Final 4 trips up the college ranks and into bigger conferences, this past year saw them basement dwelling in the Big East and Atlantic Ten. Whereas Wichita State and Gonzaga continue to flourish as big fish in smaller ponds. I think it raises interesting questions about conference realignment from a fan perspective.

STATUS: NEEDS TO BE REPLACED

#40/341 - Ohio State Buckeyes

Three steals in a row? Well no. While this jersey is nice and was attained cheaply there is one problem. It doesn't fit. This is where I learned what "Youth XL" is and that some sellers probably don't know the difference either. So while this jersey is nice it needs to be replaced as it is unwearable.

Ohio State is another school I feel bad for despite their athletic prowess. Every year their football and basketball teams are among the elite but they have almost nothing to show for it. One championship in football that almost everyone outside of Columbus considers questionable (PI?). I was just now genuinely surprised to learn they'd made the Final 4 twice in the last decade.

#39/341 - Miami Hurricanes

Keeping on the subject of great ebay scores, this was my greatest find to date, $1.50 (plus shipping). Aside from that it's a gorgeous jersey of a team I admired as a kid. I hope Coach Larranaga can bring these guys back around in the future.

#38/341 - Illinois Fighting Illini

This was my first true ebay "score" that provided the rush of getting something for less than $5. It's a nice jersey, only slightly out of date, with vibrant colors. I can't really say much about the Illinois Fighting Illini other than their Elite 8 victory over Arizona was one of the most thrilling comebacks I'd ever witnessed.

#37-341 - South Florida Bulls

This jersey gets a huge question mark. I got it off ebay under a listing advertising a "South Florida jersey." But a few weeks ago I saw this same jersey on ebay as a "San Francisco Dons" basketball jersey. So let's do so some detective work. There are no other markings on the jersey to let us know where it's from and San Francisco and South Florida go by  USF.

What about school colors? This jersey is green and gold maybe that'll tell us. According to wikipedia South Florida's colors are green and gold. San Francisco's colors are.... green and gold. Are you kidding me?

So as of this moment I don't know which one this jersey is from.