It's hard to imagine, but one of the state's top draws turns a century old this week.

It's the Boys State Basketball Tournament. From humble beginnings, this week-long love affair between the fans and top teams across the state has become a yearly tradition that more than 70,000 fans enjoy annually.

I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the tournament as both a student and fan as well as a broadcaster. My first recollection of the tournament goes back to 1975 when as a student at Nixon Elementary, I recall the talk around school amongst the teachers about the Kennedy team that had qualified that season and their chances for victory. Later, as a senior in 1984, I was among the throng of students that celebrated a 3A, then the largest class, state championship for the Cougars led by Al Lorenzen and Jeff Hrubes.

I then started to attend the tournament as a spectator during my college years with a group of several friends who all enjoyed watching the happenings in Des Moines. We would each root for whichever team caught our attention during the day and had a great time watching the display on the court from the second balcony at the old Veterans Auditorium, as well as dining at the "Ruptured Duck" Grill on the north concourse!

The next chapter of my state tournament began in 1989 when as a fresh-faced broadcaster only a couple months out of college, at KOUR in Independence, I got to cover my first tournament with the media as Independence played eventual champion Council Bluffs St.Albert. I was basically in awe as I was now on the famous "media overhang" with all of my boyhood idols such as Bob Brooks, Ron Gonder and others. I have covered at least one game of each tournament since, except for one strange year when the Metro and surrounding area was shut out.

I have seen a lot over the years, and there have been countless memories. Let's take a walk down memory lane as we examine just a few.

I have witnessed some amazing performances and individuals over the years. Some of those players include Raef LaFrentz, Kirk Hinrich, Ricky Davis, Nick Collison and others too countless to list.

I was there the day Western Christian's Curt Hoffman set the state tournament scoring record with a 56-point outburst out of nowhere back in 1991, not bad for a kid who wasn't among the top three scorers on the team. Hoffman had a dream shooting day from 3-point land, but what was forgotten by many was that he did a great deal of "basket hanging" that day for a Western team that crushed an opponent that entered the first round with a sub-.500 record.

With all of the great individual talent that has graced both Vets and Wells Fargo over the years, the one game that stands out in my mind was the truly amazing overall performance by Art Sathoff of Iowa Falls in 1983, when he scored 27 points and hauled in 25 rebounds in a first round win over Ballard. No one has had a better all-around game in my mind, and Sathoff still holds the all-time state tournament career rebounding record.

There have been terrific teams over the years as well that I remember, many of those from the Metro. The 1983 Linn-Mar team followed by the 1984 Kennedy team were two of the best, both state champs.

All the terrific Regis teams led by Dick Breitbach were terrific to watch with their great precision in winning numerous titles. Prairie had some great teams as well under Denny Thiesen and his assistant Phil Dunne, and my right-hand man in our KGYM boys basketball broadcasts. The Hawks took home a gold trophy as well.

And who can forget the amazing current streak of now nine straight trips by the Linn-Mar program and the three titles brought home during that span by the Lions.

I remember all the sights, and yes smells, of Veterans Auditorium all those years. While Wells Fargo Arena is a great arena and a great upgrade in amenities, every year there is still something "missing " from state tournament week. At Vets you knew where everyone sat, from your colleagues to friends as well as coaches. You would congregate every year by the Coaches Room and would meet up with all of your media friends in the Media Room on the south side of Vets.

Other memories include the large state map with the light bulbs indicating the towns and cities that sent teams to the tournament. I also remember each game being broadcast statewide by WHO in Des Moines and how I would hurry home to turn on the radio to find out the results of the afternoon games, well before the information age of the internet, facebook and twitter.

I also look back fondly on the three class state tournament and hope that it returns some day with all of the consolidation that continues to take place across the state. Yes, not as many athletes will get to experience the tournament, but it meant much more in those days to qualify for state, I believe, than it does now by winning as few as two games to qualify for the trip to the capitol city.

There are many things to embrace in the modern day game. The players are much more talented, and the teams are much more rounded as a whole. The smiles are still on the faces of the participants as well as the fans, friends, families and followers of the state basketball tournament.

It's time to reflect on the past and look ahead to the future all while enjoying this year's 100th anniversary of the tournament. I hope everyone makes it to Des Moines this week, if not I hope you tune in to KGYM Radio and we will try to bring all the pageantry to you this great week.

(Scott Unash is the sports and program director at KGYM-AM 1600 (FM 106.3). He is a six-time winner of the Iowa Broadcast News Association play-by-play Announcer of the Year Award. Scott and Mark Dukes co-host the Gym Class weekdays from 3-4 p.m. on KGYM-AM 1600 and FM-106.3)