Providence Friars basketball has fallen on hard times over the last decade, but Friartown has two things going for them. Ed Cooley, and fond memories of the past that includes an improbable run to the Final Four. Thanks to a company called Retro College Cuts (check them out on Twitter @RetroCollegeCuts), Friar fans can pretend like it’s 1987 again and rock a replica of the shorts that Billy Donovan and company wore. If you’re not into the whole “tiny 80′s skin tight basketball shorts that basically end at the crotch” thing, don’t worry! They are modern baggy shorts, but still have the style and charm of PC’s old uniforms.

(Photo from Retro College Cuts)

Retro College Cuts was kind enough to send me a pair of the shorts in order to review, and I’ve been rocking them at night after work the last several nights. The shorts are definitely high quality, and have a nice thickness that make them a very comfortable wear for me. Sizing has always been a problem for me with shorts (I’m about 6 foot and have somewhat long legs), but I got the large and it’s a great length right above my knee. I can’t say I’m going to be playing a lot of basketball in them (since well, I never really do any planned physical activity other than chasing a small child around), but you can bet your arse they’ll become a staple of my lounging around the house in the summer.

Style-wise it’s a pretty sweet PC logo as you can see from the picture. When I opened up the package the other night, my wife remarked “Those are really cool”. The dark part looks black in the picture, but in the light it looks brownish. As far as old PC shorts go, I’m a little partial to the all black ones with “Friars” text on them from the 90′s, but these are starting to grow on me.

The shorts are $69.99. That might sound weird, but what if you were in your driveway pretending you were Billy D and Pitino was violently screaming at you to jack up threes and you didn’t have these shorts on. That would be weird.

UPDATE: Now through Monday use code Nola12 and take $12 off the shorts for the final four

Here is the description from the their site.

The Providence Friars basketball can be traced back to 1921, when the four-year old school fielded its first basketball team on an informal basis. Since that time the program has logged 15 NCAA tournament, 5 Sweet Sixteen, 4 Elite Eight and two Final Four appearances. Three former players or coaches are enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball HOF including Dave Gavitt, John Thompson and Lenny Wilkins. The 1987 Providence team is potentially the most endearing to Friars Fans. Coached by a young Rick Pitino paired with the floor general point guard Billy Donavan, they posted a 25-9 record and made an incredible run to the Final Four that captivated the country. Pitino coached his sixth seeded Providence team to victories over UAB and Austin Peay in the first weekend. In the Sweet 16 the underdog Friars would pull off two upset wins over #2 seeded Alabama and #1 seeded Big East rival Georgetown. The wins would catapult Providence to the Final Four and into the hearts and imaginations of the nation that year. These replica game shorts are designed after the 1987 team.

These game shorts are designed after the home shorts the Friars wore during their 1987 campaign .

Order Yours Here.