2012 Big East Tournament: Cincinnati, Louisville to Debut New Adidas Uniforms [PHOTOS]

The University of Louisville and University of Cincinnati men's basketball teams will be wearing new, ultra-lightweight adidas adizero uniforms this week for the 2012 Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. and into the NCAA tournament. Louisville will debut theirs on March 7 while Cincinnati will debut theirs on March 8 in their first games of the conference tournament.

Cincinnati's new uniforms will be more than 20 percent lighter than their previous uniforms in terms of performance, while Louisville's new uniforms will be more than 25 percent lighter than their previous uniforms, according to an adidas press release. The jerseys feature what's called a ClimaCool zone, also used in the NBA, which moves heat and sweat away from the body for breathability and to keep the jersey from gaining weight by absorbing water. The teams' shorts, which possess a four-way stretch woven material used to increase mobility and speed, are unlined so the player also feels lighter and more comfortable when wearing compression base layers in tandem.

The uniforms' design feature new pixelated, camouflage patterns to shed weight and make players faster. The camouflage was inspired by the concept of teamwork, and amplified school colors pay homage to the excitement of NCAA tournament.

The University of Baylor will also sport the new adidas uniform throughout the Big 12 tournament. Their uniforms, which are predominantly neon green, are 40 percent lighter their previous ones.

Louisville (22-9, 10-8 Big East), the No. 7 seed in the Big East Tournament, will face the winner of the Seton Hall/Providence matchup on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Cincinnati (22-9, 12-6 Big East), the No. 4 seed in the Big East Tournament, will face the winner of a game on Wednesday featuring Georgetown against either Pittsburgh or St. John's.