A state treasure is going to be on display this week at Iolani's main gym. Basketball tournament
at Iolani a classicI'm talking about the Iolani Basketball Classic.
No fewer than 16 players have passed through it en route to the NBA.
But even the classic's most loyal supporters, such asStu Vetter, head coach of the nation's seventh-ranked team, St. John's at Prospect Hall (Md.), say it's a crying shame that community and corporate enthusiasm for it have fallen off over the years.
It's the only prep event I've covered where youngsters and adults will approach players for their autographs.
When prep stars such as Jacque Vaughn, Jerry Stackhouse, Felipe Lopez, Jeff McInnis and Dennis Scott come to Iolani, their destinies are written in neon.
And, so, if you ask Vetter, who has sent a generous share of his own players to collegiate and pro stardom, he'll tell you he can't figure out how this community can let the classic slip.
There are two nationally ranked teams in this week's classic, which will open tomorrow and continue through the Dec. 23. There was a time when the classic had four.
Besides St. John's, which features backcourt whiz Shike Lee and super 6-foot-8 sophomore Damien Wilkins (son of Gerald, nephew of Dominique), No. 19 St. Joseph's of Alameda, Calif., will be also be here.
The Pilots showcase 6-4 Ray Young, who is one of the nation's top juniors. St. Joseph's, as you might recall, spawned Jason Kidd.
The really big preseason tournaments in the nation, such as the King Cotton Classic in Arkansas, the Slam Dunk Classic in Maryland, and the East-West Shootout in Los Angeles, are funded by corporate sponsors. In order to gain the depth and stature of these tournaments, corporate sponsorship is a must for the Iolani Classic.
The nationally ranked teams still willing to come out here pay their own way. Most won't.
Iolani organizers Eddie Hamada and Glenn Young have done all they can to maintain the classic's unique appeal, and they realize what it needs to become what it once was. But they need help.
Vetter sees no reason why a McDonald's or a Nike shouldn't latch on.
"Iolani could be the most attractive tournament of all for them, because no other tournament can offer Hawaii," he said.
Of course, there are some who say that because a Hawaii team may never win the Iolani Classic with ranked teams in the field, we should not bring in mainland powerhouses.
I rank that argument right down with the one that says we ought to ban foreign distance runners from American foot races because, gosh-darn-it-all, we just can't win against 'em.
Local coaches with vision, such as Kalaheo's Pete Smith and Moanalua's Eddie Maruyama see exposure to the best as a critical learning experience for both players and coaches.
"It gives the kids an idea of where they stand and how hard they have to work," Maruyama said.
Putting one's own talents into perspective with the rest of the nation can't be a bad thing.
As an experience, it can be both humbling and inspiring.
Local teams such as Kalaheo and Punahou have made significant inroads in classic competition.
"What people in Hawaii have to know is that the classic has improved the level of basketball there," Vetter said.
"Hawaii teams are now competitive with a lot of mainland teams, and when I first went there in the 1980s, they weren't."
That might be the Iolani Classic's best selling point.