At the 2018 City of Palms Classic — which starts today in Fort Myers, FL — Tony Irons is chasing greatness.

The Vashon (St. Louis, MO) coach, in his fourth year, has followed his father, the legendary Floyd Irons, into the sport. And after piloting two different St. Louis public high school programs (Imagine College Prep and Madison Prep), off of his college days he succeeded his father at the St. Louis Public League giant.

"Vashon had a tradition," Irons said. "My father won 10 state championships. They still hold the Missouri state record for final four appearances, (with) around 30. His teams had been ranked probably 15, 16 times. One year they were ranked No. 1 in the country, and wound up losing in the state championship.

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"One year, they played LeBron James, when he was a junior. So, they've got a story here."

In his four years as head coach, Irons has won two state championships. He's drawn on the lessons his father provided, in the role he wanted to seek.

"Growing up, as a kid, I'd been around (the program) for everything," Irons said. "Seeing him be a father figure for a lot of kids. When I got into coaching, that was one of the things I wanted to provide and instill through basketball."

His upbringing has also affected his relationship with his team.

"Our program is kind of family-oriented," Irons said. "We're kind of hard on them. But they know we care and want them to succeed."

Senior guard Mario McKinney (committed to Missouri) point guard Donyae McCaskill (committed to the University of Portland) and 6-foot-6 junior Cam'Ron Fletcher hold the reins. But this team runs 10 deep, with others, like 6-6 junior Kobe Clark, junior point guard Phillip Russell, and 6-6 sophomore Nicholas Kern all pitching in.

Vashon defeated Chicago's Morgan Park at the Chicago Elite Classic on Dec. 1. They also played in the Dallas Hoopfest.

"We play extremely fast," Irons said. "We're extremely athletic. We defend at a high rate. This is probably the most talented team I've had since I've been here. We have some depth. They play together and share the ball."

In the past, Vashon teams appeared at these headlining tournaments, like the Nike Extravaganza. But in Tony Irons' era, Vashon has retained some of the edge of his father's teams, while leaving his own mark.

"We're probably no different than any other inner-city school," Irons said. "Where we come from, what we deal with, there's no difference. 

"We have really good kids that excel in the classroom. Some people might say, 'They're public school kids from the inner city, they don't take that seriously'. But we've got seven kids in the National Honor Roll Society. We're just as proud of that as of the basketball."

Drawing on one of the nation's foremost and most well-respected hotbeds (Philadelphia), Imhotep Institute Charter High School brings a street-wise style to City of Palms and a local flair.

"Our style is a little bit different," said Imhotep coach Andre Noble. "We play physical, we're tough physically. It isn't pretty. But we're going to get after it defensively. Last year we only allowed two teams to score over 60 points."

They've also been tested. With regular appearances at the Beach Ball Classic in South Carolina and a 2018-2019 schedule that includes Monteverde Academy at the Hoophall Classic (not to mention local dates with Philadelphia rival Constitution), Noble's team has grown accustomed to top-notch competition.

"They've been used to this," Noble said. "Our league is tough every year."

Imhotep, the two-time, defending Pennsylvania State 4A champions, includes a senior group of 6-6 Donta Scott (committed to Maryland), 6-4 Dahmir Bishop (committed to Xavier), and 6-6 forward Jamil Riggins (committed to Binghamton), who have left a lasting imprint on the program.

"This run has been very special," Noble said. "I have five seniors. They've been around for the last two state titles. They lost seven games in their career."

Six-eight junior Elijah Taylor, another Division I prospect, bolsters the group. And while Imhotep is not long on name value, Noble's boys will come to compete.

"We don't have a few five stars," Noble said. "That's not what our team is composed of. But they're going to play really tough and compete and not care (if the other team) has four four-stars or four five-stars."

When Mountain Brook (Ala.) coach Bucky McMillan was in the second grade, he dreamed of playing Division I basketball. It was a precedent that, in his suburban Birmingham community, had yet to be set.

"Fifteen years ago, if you'd have said Mountain Brook would be winning state championships, playing a national schedule, they'd have said, 'You're insane'," McMillan said. "Mountain Brook is one of the highest socioeconomic places in the country. It was never known for basketball."

McMillan did play Division I basketball, at Birmingham Southern. And, when he returned as varsity coach at age 24 (following stints as the team's JV coach), he knew the goals he wanted to reach.

"I think Nelson Mandela's quote, 'It seems impossible until it is done' (is fitting)," McMillan said. "My high school coach, Mark Cornelius, took over in 1998 until 2007. He met with all the school's boosters and players and said, 'I think Mountain Brook can win a state championship'. There were people in there laughing.

"Once we kind of kicked the door down, in 2013, then in 2014, in 2017 and 2018 (it was no longer impossible)."

Mountain Brook's motto is "Hard Work. Selfish. Fearless."

"We want to be the most hard-working, hardest playing team every year," said the 11th-year head coach. "Every time we go on the floor, to the weight room, to the track, we want to give 100 percent. We want to be unselfish, playing for each other. When you have an unselfish approach, and you know you're going out there together, then you can be fearless, because you have confidence.

"Everybody on the team has to sacrifice something they want to accomplish individually for the team. Maybe a scorer wants to be more of a rebounder. Maybe someone who rebounds needs to exert (more) defensively."

Trendon Watford, Mountain Brook's highly-recruited, 6-9 senior, embodies those values.

"It's great to see a five-star be so unselfish," McMillan said. "He cares about the team's goals."

Six-four junior guard Colby Jones is a wing player who can shoot and attack the basket, while junior Paulie Stramaglia handles the point.

"He's got a Steve Nash-type game," McMillan said.

Lior Berman, an inside-outside threat (6-4) is a key senior, as is 6-1 Alex Washington, who'll play football at Harvard.

"This fall when we practiced we had high-level schools there for Trendon — Calipari was there, but also Ivy League schools and schools from California for Paulie," McMillan said. 

Already Mountain Brook has played Mississippi's Olive Branch, as well at Bearden (Tenn.), 28-2 last year and three of Georgia's top teams: Meadowcreek, St. Pius X and Alexander. 

"It's important to put guys in situations where they're going to be facing adversity," McMillan said. "You can't do that if you're not playing teams to put them in that tight spot."

At last year's City of Palms, Mountain Brook impressed.

And following this year's tourney? It's a trip to South Dakota (for the Hoop City Classic).

"To say we go out and over (for good competition) is an understatement," McMillan said.

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Brian Towey is a Queens, New York-based writer covering basketball and track and field. He can be reached at bc_towey@yahoo.com and @BcTowey.