If there’s a program suited for all-black uniforms, it’s UNLV. Well, at least old school UNLV.
Jerry Tarkanian could’ve grown that outlaw image by leaps and bounds with a few outings in black unis. Not to mention selling more than a few jerseys. Can you imagine how many Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon jerseys would’ve been sold in the early ‘90s? It’d been the Fab Five clothing revolution before the Fab Five did it.
But a “curse” scared off coaches for at least the last decade, maybe more. Here’s a tidbit from Las Vegas Sun reporter Ryan Greene:... the last time the Rebels donned ‘em was in 1999 for a non-conference game against North Carolina. He recalled it as a shellacking, with UNLV – who in some opinions was a preseason Top 25 team that year – falling on the short end. He added that in that game, prized junior college recruit Kenny Dye suffered a shoulder injury that, in effect, took away his UNLV career.
One last black uniform history nugget from Joe: He said that the long-standing rumor is that the team was supposed to wear them in the 1991 title game had it advanced past Duke. So, there’s that.
Well, the black jerseys are back. And they’re baaaaad. UNLV drilled Illinois State 82-51 Wednesday night, which ended any talk of curses, jinxes, bad mojo, hexes or any other bad luck superstition. In fact, sounds like they might get into the regular rotatation.
“It’s something different. You don’t really see too many schools with all black uniforms,” sophomore guard Anthony Marshall told Greene. “If we would have lost tonight, we probably wouldn’t have worn them again, so we’re happy to get the win with them so we can continue to wear them.”
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