CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Almost everybody, it seems, has a hard time seeing Washington State beating or even staying close to No. 1-ranked North Carolina in today's Sweet 16 East Regional semifinal.

And I can see why.

On paper and on film, just the pedigree and caliber of athletes seems to set the Tar Heels apart from the Cougars, allowing them to play a style that is hard to match up with.

So I tried to figure out myself how it might be possible for Wazzu to pull off the monumental upset, and in doing so my mind keeps going back to the 'Iolani Prep Classic. It's the same type of scenario Hawai'i teams face going up against Mainland powerhouses like Fairfax, Montrose Christian, Rice.

On paper, and even during the warm-ups, it's hard to imagine the local teams having any kind of shot of knocking off or hanging with these basketball factories.

But having watched Derrick Low and 'Iolani match some of these juggernauts step-for-step from 2000 to 2003, it gives me an idea of how it might happen.

In Low's freshman year, the Raiders lost De La Salle by a couple points, 41-39 or something. His sophomore year, they lost to Fairfax, 61-59. In Low's senior year, they fell to No. 7-ranked Montrose Christian only after a 3-point buzzer beater in overtime.

So, how did they do it, despite the seemingly overwhelming mismatches? Well, pretty much the same way Washington State has been doing it: Get back on defense to slow the fast break, dictate the tempo by turning it into a deliberate, possession-by-possession game, take care of the basketball and take good shots.

I don't know if other teammates like Kyle Weaver, Taylor Rochestie and Robbie Cowgill had the same kind of exposure to big-time high school basketball, but for as for Low, I think that early exposure helped prepare him for moments like today.

When you are 14 years old and playing against De La Salle, or 15 years old and playing Fairfax, and then taking teams like this down to the final basket, it has to instill confidence that no challenge is insurmountable.

One difference might be the atmosphere of playing before a cozy home crowd of 1,050 at 'Iolani Gym compared to 18,500 hostile fans wearing Carolina blue. But hey, as Wazzu coach Tony Bennett pointed out, playing at Arizona or Pauley Pavilion is no walk in the park, either.

So while the media and fans here and around the country struggle to find reasons why Low and Washington State might have a chance against Michael Jordan's alma mater today, I found mine.

It comes from a December, 2001 memory of watching a 15-year-old kid from Hawai'i sink two free throws to tie mighty Fairfax, 59-59, with nine seconds left, against the nation's No. 18-ranked boys basketball team.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Four months ago, I never would have thought I would be visiting Louisiana, Colorado and North Carolina (three states I had never been to) within an upcoming 12-week span.

But here I am. Nice place, by the way.

Having been in six different airports in the past eight days, I've had to go through all the minute details of travel: "Oops! Forgot to put my toiletries kit into my check-in luggage instead of the carry-on -- there goes my shaving cream, toothpaste and mousse at the TSA line." "How the heck do you get to gate G21?" "Hmm, there's places to eat here in the main terminal, but should I go through the security line first and take the tram to my gate just to be safe? What if there's no food places on the other side ...?" "Wait, do I have everything?"

And this is just traveling by myself. I could just imagine what it's like for a high school coach responsible for 50 football players, or 25 baseball players, or 15 basketball or volleyball players. All of whom are teenagers with minds of their own.

As any traveler knows, there's a lot that can go wrong even on a simple overnight trip. Flights get delayed. Long lines at security. Luggage gets lost or is late to arrive. There's stuff that did not get packed. Hotel room not ready yet.

Now, when you're traveling with a team, multiply those glitches by 15 or more.

That's why I now have greater appreciation for coaches who take teams on trips, because you can plan out every detail months in advance but there are bound to be unexpected things that come up. And with high school teenagers, there's always the risk of someone getting into mischief or something going amiss.

I remember one high school team going to China in the late 1980s, and one kid losing his passport. Don't know how they got out of that one. Thank goodness it was before 9/11.

My brother once was with a group of high school kids at a Mainland airport, when he had to check on something at the counter and gave what seemed to be simple instructions: "Stay right here, DON'T MOVE."

So when he came back a minute later, guess what? "Where did so-and-so go?!?"

Traveling is fun, but it can be stressful.

I've seen some different philosophies on team travel. I've seen one coach tell his team the day before a long Mainland trip: "Everybody, only bring one suitcase or duffel bag." I can see how this would simplify things, especially with loading and unloading the rental van once they got there.

But packing light also might mean having to do laundry, which is another hassle altogether. I avoided this myself the other day by walking to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets and picking up an extra set of socks and bibbadeeze. (Sorry, TMI?)

I've seen coaches tell their team to show up to the airport in collared shirts and jeans/long pants, to look decent and professional. I've seen entire football teams wearing the same school T-shirt, not a bad idea in case you need to find someone in a crowded airport.

Then, once you get to the destination, you gotta figure out where to eat, what places can take large groups on short notice. You gotta get everybody checked into the hotel. There's curfew. There's breakfast and making sure everybody is accounted for. If you're driving in an unfamiliar place, there's directions to follow.

And since these trips are often official school business, there's probably receipts and expense forms or other paperwork to take care of.

To some, all the headaches might not seem worth it. What if one of the kids gets sick and has to stay back at the hotel? What if one gets injured and has to go the hospital? Or, in a worst-case scenario, what if someone gets arrested and goes to jail? (Unfortnately, this has happened before)

I know one coach who refuses to take his team on trips, unless it's a state tournament. I can understand why.

But as a fortunate lifelong traveler, I also can appreciate the value in visiting new places and experiencing new environments. It's educational to see how people live in different places, to learn geography and demographics. And going through all these experiences together builds friendships and team bonding.

And, it can be a lot of fun.

In high school, I always wanted to take a team trip but unfortunately we never got that opportunity. I actually felt kind of "ripped off" because the team I played on had taken a trip every other year, and so they went to a Neighbor Island the year before I joined and supposedly my senior year was supposed to be our turn.

But we never did, and the following year, after we graduated, they went to Los Angeles!

However, I now realize how complicated team travel can be and that it truly is a privilege and not a right.

Hopefully, the kids in high school now who are lucky enough to travel will appreciate their opportunities sooner rather than later.

LAS VEGAS — No, this is not a site for the next round of the NCAA Tournament. Or as my friend in Los Angeles said last night when I told him I was here, "Oh, that's right ... 'cuz of course Las Vegas is on the way to Charlotte from Denver ..."

But honestly, it IS cheaper and easier to get a round-trip plane ticket to Charlotte, N.C., from Las Vegas than Denver. Put it this way, I looked into a one-way fare from Denver to Charlotte: $585. I even considered taking a train, but the Amtrak price was $485, and it would take over 48 hours of travel time.

So, shucks, Vegas is where I'm at.

But seriously, I'm getting a better idea of how those 'Ewa Beach Little League parents felt back in 2005, when their kids kept winning and advancing to the next round. Remember? One dad even ended up quitting his $60,000-a-year job because he had maxed out his vacation allotment and his company wouldn't give him any more time off.

Parents spent up to $14,000 following and supporting their kids through the tournament.

At the boys basketball state tournament last month, Ken Low was already doing the math as far as attending his son, Derrick's, Senior Night game in Pullman, Wash., and the NCAA Tournament, where possible first-round sites included Washington, D.C and Tampa, Fla.

"This could cost me six grand," said Ken, a mechanic for TheBus. "But then again ... how do I NOT go?"

I totally agree.

I've always felt it's hard to put a price tag on "once-in-a-lifetime" experiences. Money is something that can be hard to earn, but ultimately it usually can be recovered eventually. But if you miss out on a special event, there's no amount of money that can bring it back; it's gone forever.

As a parent, though, life must be full of those "once-in-a-lifetime" events, because how do you know which game will be your son or daughter's game of their life? Or, unfortunately, which game might be their last?

My parents came to most of my high school games, but we still don't remember why they somehow missed one JV basketball game at Kalani Gym when I went crashing to floor and dazily walked off the court with a concussion. I was back at practice a few days later, but what if it was a career-ending injury instead?

On the reverse end, what about the parent who misses out on his kid's no-hitter, or five-touchdown performance? I remember the look on one athletic director's face after getting a call from his wife on O'ahu, informing him of the game-winning home run his son had just hit in Little League. The AD was in Kona, doing his job as an administrator attending a state tournament event for his school.

The reality is, we all gotta work, we can't be at every single game. Especially if these games are during normal working hours, or on a different island, or even the Mainland.

Work often gets in the way, money often gets in the way.

But from what I have seen, Hawai'i parents in general are very supportive and usually find the ways and means to attend as many of their kids' games as they can, no matter when and where it is. I've been impressed at the number of parents who have traveled from O'ahu to Neighbor Island state tournaments and NI parents who show up on O'ahu, often on very short notice.

As I've learned on this trip, it takes a lot of quick planning and figuring out costs and logistics, not to mention the time involved in making the arrangements and actually packing and traveling.

And sometimes, the cost and logistics alone may not justify attending in person.

But when the "once-in-a-lifetime" factor gets thrown in there, like Ken Low said, "How do you NOT?"

DENVER -- Cruising in the palatial lobby of the downtown Hyatt late yesterday afternoon/early evening, I saw a lot of Washington State basketball players walking by.

A couple of them, like Robbie Cowgill, were with their parents, girlfriend or other family members.

But nobody's "entourage" came even close to Derrick Low's, despite the fact his party had the farthest to travel, by far. Ken Low, Ryan Hirata, Clyde Hirata, Doc Mugiishi, Dean Shimamoto, Jim Kawashima and others traveled from O'ahu. Gwen Lavarias came from Waialua, via short stays in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Lacey Lavarias journeyed from Pullman, Wash., via LA and Vegas.

Dustin Low flew in from Reno.

Zach Tollefson, a high school classmate and teammate, drove up from Pueblo, Colo.

Also at Thursday's game was Kyle Pape, a former teammate who succeeded Low as State Player of the Year. He is an all-conference guard for Colorado School of Mines, an NCAA Division II program.

Not a bad fan club in attendance, again considering the distance and cost involved. But this is only the latest in Hawai'i-based gatherings at Low's games this season.

Lacey and Gwen Lavarias were at last week's Pac-10 Tournament, along with Low's uncle, Pat Costa from O'ahu. Saw him on TV waving ti leaves.

At Senior Night in Pullman two weeks ago, Ken Low was there along with Clyde and Sandy Hirata. Clyde even braved the 90-minute drive through fog back to Spokane Airport.

At the Cougars' road trip to Cal and Stanford, Ken Low was there along with Costa, Tollefson and more classmates like Todd Blankenship and Jon Yasuda. They came in from places like Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles and University of Arizona. Even my parents' neighbor, former Kalaheo coach Wade Nakashima, happened to be in the Bay Area on business and attended both games.

Back in January, 'Iolani counselors Ann Yoneshige and Lara Feldhaus and former coach Chad Ito flew from O'ahu to Pullman for the Oregon State and Oregon games.

So, for a guy who went away to a remote school in the Pacific Northwest, Low clearly has not been lacking for fan support from people back home.

As an observer, I think all of this support has helped him have the season he has had so far. Most importantly, I think it has helped him enjoy every moment.

After Thursday night's victory, Low and the gang went to ESPN Zone for dinner and played some games. Last night, they had birthday cake in the Hyatt lobby before heading out to dinner.

The night before Senior Night, there was a get-together at a family friend's house in Pullman where Ken provided local food like spare ribs that he packed in his luggage.

During Wednesday's press conference, Low was asked by a Colorado sports writer about the "culture shock" of moving from Honolulu to Pullman. Low admitted he "didn't know anything" about Pullman when he first got recruited by Dick and Tony Bennett.

"As far as culture shock, yeah, I mean, you got to endure through a tough winter," Low said. "We don't got any of that back in Hawai'i. As far as the food, it's a lot different. I miss home food a lot, a lot more local foods that I miss. What else ... Oh yeah, another thing that I really miss is like the diversity we have back in Hawai'i. I'm used to being around, you know, a lot of Polynesians and a lot of Asians, just a lot of other different kind of people.

"It's just a lot different than it is back in Pullman, so ..."

Having lived in three Mainland regions over a combined five-plus years, I can relate to being away and missing some of the great things about Hawai'i. But of all the things I missed -- the food, the music, the beaches, the weather -- the thing I missed the most was the people.

Which is why I really looked forward to when family or friends would visit. Sometimes, just seeing old familiar faces instantly makes you feel better, almost like you're back home again.

Here in the middle of the Rocky Mountains, exactly one mile above sea level, approximately 3,500 miles from Honolulu without a beach or any body of water in sight, Derrick Low at least has a lot of his 'ohana and support system along with him.

I'm sure it helps.

DENVER -- OK, since SOME-body wen complain about my topic yesterday, JUS fo' YOU, I'll turn the attention back to high schools today ... even though I happen to be almost halfway across the country covering the nation's No. 1 sporting event of the week.

Seriously, though, I thought about this particular topic on Tuesday, but as I mentioned in a comment my first priority that night was to take care of stuff for the print edition and I was also wiped out from 3,500 or so miles of travel.

I also feared that the mere mention of a school beginning with the letter "P" would only ignite another round of bashing, trashing and deleting. Lord knows we have had way too much of that already.

Anyway, after landing in Colorado early Tuesday afternoon, I jumped on one of those "shared ride" shuttles to take me to my hotel downtown. Like other shuttles, this was a good deal at $12 one way but as usual, it also means other people will be dropped off before you.

But this time it wasn't so bad because there was only one other customer riding in the van, a late middle-aged guy who was giving me a brief overview of the Denver metropolis.

Without even knowing that my beat is high school sports (he knew I was a sports reporter), the guy started telling me about a high school near his house called Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village, Colo.).

He mentioned how they're a sports power, how the quarterback last season was Jack Elway (signed with Arizona State), how John Elway was an assistant coach for his son's team. The guy also said the school dominates in swimming, that former Olympic medalist Amy Van Dyken went there, that they just raised $100,000 for a new baseball stadium.

He mentioned how Sports Illustrated ranked Cherry Creek as one of the top sports high schools in the country.

As we took the off-ramp from the freeway, the guy even gave the driver an alternate route to his house so we could drive past this high school he was talking about.

"That way you can see Cherry Creek,” he said.

The school did look impressive, with a nice football stadium and all-weather track.

The guy then told me they have about 3,500 students (grades 9-12).

"It's a public school?” I asked.

"Yeah, public,” he said.

From all the previous descriptions, to me the school sounded a lot like Punahou. I mean, would you think John Elway -- Denver's greatest and wealthiest sports hero ever -- would send his kid to a public school?

But one thing good about traveling is it gives you a different perspective.

At most places on the Mainland, including the three metropolises I have lived in (Los Angeles, Miami and the Bay Area), most of the private schools are smaller and do not have dominant academic and sports programs compared to those in Hawai'i.

De La Salle was one exception, maybe St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale) was another. Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.).

But in general, many of the high-profile schools I've seen on the Mainland are public. Like Long Beach Poly. Or Mira Costa (Manhattan Beach, Calif.).

So it makes me wonder what Mainland people would think if they were to read this blog and see all the heated debate over ILH vs. OIA, supposed biases and advantages and politics regarding private schools and the constant bashing of the school beginning with the letter "P.”

I'm guessing many would think, "What's the big deal?”

After all, it sounds like the "Punahou of Colorado” is a public school.

Imagine that.