In the space of five breathless minutes the other day, the new college basketball tournament on the block went from inaugural event to all-world candidate.

Faster than you could say Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic, the superlatives were being launched like 3-pointers.

The event will become, "the premier basketball tournament in the country," University of Hawai'i athletic director Jim Donovan predicted with dead-solid certainty. It was on the way to becoming, "one of the of the best in the country," projected an ESPN Regional Television official. Undoubtedly a future as "a lead event in the country," forecast another.

Does somebody know something about the EA Sports Maui Invitational that we don't?

Because, for much of its quarter-century run, the Lahaina-based event has been the best. Once in a while someone else, such as the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., last season, lines up a better field. But, as http://www.ESPN.com's Andy Katz put it, over the long haul "Maui still sets the standard."

Which is certainly something for the DHC to aspire to. If not complement. Because there is room and reason for both to flourish.

How sweet would it be if the Maui and DHC events became bookends of the holiday tournament scene, so to speak? Maui in its (Nov. 23 to 25) Thanksgiving slot and the DHC at Christmas (Dec. 22, 23 and 25).

When it comes to in-season tournaments there really are two seasons. Some schools, because of exam periods, can fit themselves into just one. Others, due to conference scheduling dictates, can't accommodate nonconference appearances in late December.

Both tournaments would seem to possess two key building blocks, Hawai'i backdrops and ESPN TV coverage.

Maui has parlayed the combination into an annual Who's Who lineups of marquee teams. This year, for example, it will include Arizona and Maryland. Next year Kentucky, Connecticut and Michigan State, among others.

Clearly, the potential is there for the DHC to do likewise over time as schedules, which are often filled a couple years out, open up. ESPN, which airs both tournaments but owns and operates the DHC, is well positioned to do for its Stan Sheriff Center event what Illinois-based KemperSports has done so well for Maui.

ESPN, with its inventory of tournament slots, can, for example, offer a buffet of tournament appearances: Anaheim in 2009, DHC in 2010, Orlando in 2011, Puerto Rico in 2012, etc.

Hawai'i as a one-two punch of quality holiday hoops may be a few years away, but the possibility isn't far fetched.