The nation's premier high school boys basketball tournament now has a shoe that fits.

In commemoration of the 'Iolani Prep Classic's 25th Anniversary, Nike — one of the tournament's longtime sponsors — has unveiled a custom-designed shoe called "Air Force 25," which features the Classic logo on the tongue and a palm tree imprint on the side. It will be sold throughout the Classic, which begins today with four games starting at 3:30 p.m.

And who knows? Nike's biggest salesman of them all — Michael "Air" Jordan — might even show up, since his son Marcus is expected to be here playing for Whitney Young (Chicago) High School, one of five participating Mainland teams ranked in USA Today's latest Super 25.

"It's possible," said Glenn Young, the 'Iolani Prep Classic's director who founded the event in 1983.

Under the direction of Young, the Classic has proved that almost anything is possible when it comes to bringing the nation's best teams and players to Honolulu.

This year's 16-team field includes the five ranked by USA Today — No. 5 Oak Hill (Mouth of Wilson, Va.), No. 7 Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), No. 9 Fairfax (Los Angeles), No. 13 LeFlore (Mobile, Ala.) and No. 24 Whitney Young — and another team, DeMatha (Hyattsville, Md.) ranked No. 12 in ESPN Rise's Fab 50.

Also here is Putnam City (Oklahoma City, Okla.), which features the nation's No. 1-ranked senior guard, Xavier Henry.

"Again, it's by far the best field of any tournament in the country, and that's a tribute to Glenn," said Montrose Christian coach Stu Vetter, who has brought 18 powerhouse teams to the Classic since 1985. "I've been coaching for 33 years, and I've been to every major tournament. But to me, this is the top tournament in the country, there's no question about it."

'HUMBLE' BEGINNING

Young first conceived the idea of the Prep Classic back in December 1982, when he was 'Iolani's head coach and watched his talented Raiders team get humbled at a Las Vegas tournament.

In three games against elite Mainland programs, 'Iolani — which went on to win the 1983 state championship — lost by at least 20 points each time.

"We played West Philadelphia, and they just crushed us," said Rodney Veary, who was Young's assistant coach at the time. "After the game, Glenn told the West Philly coach, 'If I have a tournament in Hawai'i next year, would you come?' And the coach said, 'Call me up.' "

Young did, and invited three other top Mainland programs: St. Bernard (Playa Del Ray, Calif.), Rancho (Las Vegas) and Huntington Beach (Calif.) along with three Hawai'i teams. In that first 1983 Classic, No. 10-ranked West Philadelphia — nicknamed the "Speedboys" — brought with them a fast-paced, high-flying, inner-city game and a rhythmic, dunk-filled warm-up drill that thrilled the local crowd.

West Philly returned in 1984, and in 1985 the Speedboys were joined by Flint Hill Prep (Falls Church, Va.), coached by Vetter and ranked No. 1 in the nation by Dick Vitale's Basketball Annual. Flint Hill featured a sharp-shooting 6-foot-7 junior guard named Dennis Scott, who would go on to star at Georgia Tech and in the NBA.

The 1987 Classic had a field including Tolentine (Bronx, N.Y.), St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.), Dunbar (Baltimore), Fairfaix and Flint Hill. All five teams were ranked nationally, and Tolentine and St. Anthony were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

"With the 'Iolani Classic, we got the opportunity to play top-ranked teams from all over, and that made it real special," said Fairfax coach Harvey Kitani, who has brought 12 teams to the Classic since that 1987 debut. "You add that with the hospitality of Glenn and his staff, and you can't beat that combination. I've always told people that the 'Iolani Classic is the No. 1 tournament in the nation."

'ELEVATING THE LEVEL'

Vetter said the 'Iolani Classic has been especially beneficial for the Hawai'i programs, which previously had little exposure to elite Mainland basketball.

"It was really a dream for Glenn to improve high school basketball in Hawai'i," Vetter said. "His goal was to bring good teams here and expose them to the local players and coaches. And I've seen the Hawai'i teams improve dramatically since we first came."

Vetter saw it first hand in 2003, when his No. 7-ranked Montrose Christian team escaped a major upset by 'Iolani thanks to a buzzer-beating 3-point shot in overtime. That same year, Kalaheo knocked off Florida's No. 1-ranked team, Dr. Phillips (Orlando), in overtime.

"Glenn recognized that by having a top tournament that local teams could compete in, it would elevate the level of coaching here," Veary said. "It gives us more exposure to different paradigms. We could watch what these teams do and ask them afterward, 'How do you run your out-of-bounds play?,' and things like that."

A TEAM EFFORT

Vetter said his program must raise between $15,000 to $20,000 to make the trip here from the East Coast, but he said the overall experience is well worth it.

The team visits Pearl Harbor, attends a luau at Paradise Cove, learns about a different culture, then plays against top-notch teams from around the country.

"One of the reasons this tournament has succeeded and endured is they are doing it for the right reasons," Vetter said. "Some tournaments are designed to make money, but 'Iolani does it for the good of the school and the basketball community. That's why, nationally, this is the tournament everybody looks to.

"It's very special."