One of the most surprising moments in my life as a sporting spectator was watching Randy Duck play pro ball for the Brighton Bears. Finding him in England (a guy that had been a hero to me while at Cal) brought a cascade of college basketball memories. Such is my love for this version of the sport. Players remain firmly on my mind years after their amateur careers end.

Duck is one of many players I’ve enjoyed watching in lower professional ranks, and whose disappointing careers do nothing to temper the legacy of their college days. College basketball is perhaps the second best sport out (slightly behind proper football), so with Midnight Madness a few weeks away ESPN releases the perfect companion to early season fandom. ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men’s Game recounts the teams and players that make storied programs. And, offers a ranking system of all-time best schools. Almost required reading.

Available now from Amazon.

I’ll end with this – “Iverson was cool, but I supported Victor Page.”

Now that the dust has settled on Jill Sander’s collection for Uniqlo, we can take a cool and considered look at our favourite pieces. While the funnel jacket and trousers all scored highly, our numero uno piece had to be this denim shirt.

It’s rare to see a denim shirt truly stripped down to the basics – no western shoulder patches, no weird pockets, no embellishments – just a great plain denim shirt. And it’s at a reasonable price of £25. We know you could probably get a slightly more special version if you proxy it straight from some obscure Japanese brand, but sometimes we prefer not to spend all our money on clothing. (Uniqlo)

One of the best things about the workwear revival is how much renewed attention is being paid to designers who have kept their aesthetic on the wearable side. We could argue that plenty of ‘fashion’ designers make far more wearable pieces than even the most beloved blogger brand, Engineered Garments – take this Valence jacket for instance. Say what you want about Dries, but they’ve never made a tweed top hat. (South Willard)

01. Petrocoll Spatula Putty (above)

“The OTHER MARKETS Platinum Pentaward went to Mouse Graphics in Athens (Greece) for a line of Petrocoll cement bags. The mould can be said to have been broken for this type of product, found mainly at construction sites. The aim of the agency was to create a design for Petrocoll that broke radically with its competitors, and thus get the brand much talked about. The design features elegant, non-provocative female figures. The risk of slipping up was quite great, actually.” (potw)

02. Chromeography: Mid-Century Chrome Lettering

“There are still a few spots to polish, but I thought readers would appreciate a sneak peek at another project of the Mid-Century Modernist. Chromeography is dedicated to the chrome logos and lettering affixed to vintage automobiles and electric appliances — those unsung metal emblems and badges that are overlooked, forgotten, damaged, lost to time or the dump.” (mcm)

03. Tube Amplifier by Case-Real for Elekit

“Japanese designer Koichi Futatsumata, founder of Case-Real studio, has designed a vacuum tube amplifier for electronics manufacturer Elekit.” (dezeen)

04. With Setanta gone, England turns to Internet to broadcast away games

“Once again, the Internet has saved the day. As some of you may know, Setanta, a sports broadcaster, recently went out of business in the UK. The unfortunate thing is that Setanta held the rights to England (football/soccer) away games. England play the Ukraine, in Kiev, next week, in a World Cup qualifier, so that leaves English fans without a way to watch the game. (England have already qualified, so it’s not really a huge deal.) What do do?!” (crunchgear)

Take a look at this well done pair of boots from Bed Stu. The 5 eyelet lace up “prego” boots are finished in “antiquated” black leather and will work with just about anything you place them with. Perfect for Autumn, even nicer in the Winter. OAK has them for 210$US.

More macro looks at the Bed Stu Black Prego Boots after the click.

Some cashmere and leather goodness for your hand this winter from Steven Alan. “Supple leather driving glove with a soft and warm cashmere lining for the colder months. Perforations on the glove for breathability, whip-stitching details and snap front closure.”

More looks at the Steven Alan Two-in-One Drivers Gloves after the click.

(d.s. dundee)

Portland Oregon’s Shwood line utilizes the natural resources of their surroundings to bring us handcrafted eyewear goodness made from wood. And not just one wood. They dip into everything from zebrawood (my choice), to maple, and wenge to delivery their Canby line. Again, the woods are locally sourced, and the product is finished with Carl Zeiss lenses which are arguably, the best glass makers out there. (notcot)

More looks at the Shwood Canby Wooden Sunglasses after the jump.

ABTR turns us onto a very elegant pilot’s watch that comes in priced way under budget – 650$US – from German maker Archimedes. That’s a price that should not go unnoticed. “If you are looking for a good priced, well mannered, and large sized pilot style watch, this just might be the piece for you. Archimede released their next Pilot automatic watch with the Pilot XL Automatik. The watch takes everything you like about the traditional simple Pilot watch look and ups the size from 39mm or 42mm to 45mm. The crown itself is 8mm thick. This is actually a good size making for a decidedly large watch that I would NOT describe as being silly big.”

More looks at the Archimede Pilot XL Automatik Watch after the click.

Bologna, Italy based Roberto Collina has been developing fine clothing since the 50’s. Like all good things, the company continues to thrive by remaining committed to producing the best apparel they can. Their Autumn 2009 collection for men could be described as sporty, but we tend to see it more as proper casual.

More looks from the Roberto Collina Autumn/Winter 2009 collection after the click.