LAHAINA » The stage smelled like victory.

Thirty combined wins against zero losses were represented on the Sheraton Resort Maui beachfront dais for the 30th EA Sports Maui Invitational coaches press conference under perfectly clear skies Sunday morning.

There have been stellar fields here in the past at this prestigious early-season tournament played at the intimate Lahaina Civic Center — but never before had an eight-team group come in all undefeated, including Division II host Chaminade.

"It’s pretty special. … I was kind of looking at everybody and keeping track of the last couple weeks," Silverswords coach Eric Bovaird said. "You just see W’s everywhere. Everybody’s winning. You know, it’s pretty unique. It makes it even more exciting."

The field is headlined by Syracuse, a Final Four team last March led by the second-winningest Division I coach (924) in Jim Boeheim. The No. 9 Orange (4-0) are projected to meet either No. 13 Gonzaga (4-0) or No. 20 Baylor (4-0) in the championship on Wednesday, but Arkansas (3-0), California (4-0), Dayton (4-0) or Minnesota (5-0) may have something to say about that. And Chaminade (2-0) must always be respected; the Silverswords staged an upset of Texas to open last year’s event.

Going into today, there are 52 unbeatens in Division I, with seven represented on the Valley Isle. Only one of those seven will remain by Thanksgiving.

Boeheim last took one of his teams out here in 1998, before he won a national championship with Carmelo Anthony and Boeheim’s trademark 2-3 zone defense in 2003. He and the Orange are 2-for-2 going for Maui’s Wayne Duke Championship Trophy. Syracuse is one of only two all-time unbeatens on Maui — along with Duke and the only man Boeheim chases in career wins, Mike Krzyzewski (962).

"I’d forgotten we won this tournament," Boeheim quipped. "Anything before 2005 I don’t remember. … This is as good a tournament I’ve been in in 30-something years."

Lamented first-year Minnesota coach Richard Pitino (31-year-old son of Louisville coach Rick), who matches up against the Hall of Famer today: "Coach Boeheim has about 900 wins more than me."

Syracuse, a new member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, boasts preseason ACC player of the year C.J. Fair, one of the players to watch over the next three days.

It’s not the best Maui field ever, but it’s expected to be a highly competitive one. The rankings for Syracuse, Gonzaga and Baylor were as of Sunday and are likely to improve today with a new poll.

"Having been in four of these, this is as balanced a (field) as I’ve seen," said Gonzaga coach Mark Few. "I think we’re going to see six or seven in the NCAA Tournament."

Few has taken Gonzaga to the NCAAs in each of his previous 14 years as the Zags’ coach. He’s considered Maui a home away from home, bringing his wife and four children over every summer from about the time his Adam Morrison-led squad won a triple-overtime semifinal thriller here against Michigan State in 2005. Gonzaga won again here in 2009.

"Got a family legacy going over here a little bit," Few said. "A lot of memories. Love it. It’s always on the calendar as a way to kind of unwind after the season. We know pretty much every inch of this island."

Dayton has a Maui championship to its name, too. The Flyers beat a depleted 2003 field, defeating Hawaii in the final in the Rainbow Warriors’ only appearance here to date.

Chaminade owns the most all-time Maui victories of this field at seven. Granted, that’s against 78 losses.

The host Silverswords will try to replicate last year’s feat of making the third-place game, but they have 11 new players on the roster and lost departed senior De’Andre Haskins, the 2013 PacWest Player of the Year.

"We’re always preaching to the guys, ‘You can beat these guys,’ " Bovaird said. "But when you actually do it, you have even more realization like, ‘You know, these guys are 18-, 19-, 20-year-old kids just like you. They may be a little bigger, a little stronger. But you’re just as skilled as them. So you can beat these guys.’ "