More and more college players are wearing padded compression shorts, shirts and arm sleeves to soften the blows they take in an increasingly physical game.

The shorts are reminiscent of football thigh pads, only much smaller with no bulk. The shirts and shorts are barely visible under uniforms.

"It's precautionary," said Villanova senior forward Dante Cunningham, who uses compression shorts with padding for his thighs, hips and tailbone. "You definitely have to understand you're going to get bumped, you're going to get bruised and you're going to hit the floor hard.

"If you're not protecting yourself, you may not last the whole season. One fall where you hit your hip hard can slow you down."

The arm sleeves serve multiple purposes: They are a fashion statement, thanks to the NBA's Allen Iverson, and have elbow padding for protection.

Additionally, the arm sleeves protect players from cuts and scratches.

"There's a lot of grabbing and clawing," Fred Hina, the head athletic trainer for Louisville men's basketball, said by phone. "Those sleeves cut down on those types of things."

An Illinois-based company, McDavid, said it outfitted 58 teams in this year's NCAA men's tournament with the padded protective gear known as HexPad. Adidas and Nike have similar lines of protective gear.

"They're very useful," Hina said. "You get the benefit of a compression short that keeps the muscle warm and helps reduce muscle fatigue. But even better, they add a small layer of protection."

The padding is lightweight "but it helps," Hina added. "It's security and protection."

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