Neither wanted to do it. But no matter how hard they tried, recruiting analysts Clark Francis and Brick Oettinger couldn't avoid the comparison.
"To compare a guy to Pete Maravich, you'd think it's ridiculous, but the more I think about it, there is a lot of comparison," said Francis, editor of The Hoop Scoop.
The "guy" in question is Brett Nelson, a 6-foot-3 high-school junior from St. Albans, W.Va., and one of the men's basketball team's central recruiting targets. Nelson's performance at last summer's adidas ABCD Camp, where he was generally regarded as the best point guard in the junior class, made more than one scout think of Pistol Pete.
"He's got some of the stuff that Maravich used to do," said Oettinger, who covers recruiting for Prep Stars Recruiter's Handbook and the ACC Area Sports Journal. "He'll give you that inside-out dribble and go with a one-handed pass off the dribble. He's got that flare that you like to see.
"He passes the ball well, but then he has the jump shot with a lot of range. He's a tough guy to guard, plus he can pass so well."
Nelson will pay Duke an unofficial visit this weekend, along with his family and high-school coach Tex Williams, and attend Sunday's game against 12th-ranked UCLA. He is rated among the top 10 juniors in the nation by Oettinger, Francis and numerous other recruiting gurus.
Like the analysts, Williams has no shortage of compliments for Nelson.
"He's the most complete player I've ever had," said Williams, who has coached at the high school, college and professional (CBA) levels. "Brett is double- and triple-teamed every time out. They run triangles on him, they have a man who comes in and bumps him on the chest. If he goes right, there's a man to help out on him; if he goes left, there's another man there to help out on him.
"He's so instinctive, such a good ball handler and so quick that he gets through it."
The Blue Devils hope to pair Nelson with William Avery, their freshman guard, in two years. But early reports show Florida in the lead for Nelson's services.
Second-year Florida coach Billy Donovan, who previously coached at Marshall (in Huntington, W.Va.), has obvious ties to Nelson's home region. Donovan also has 6-foot-8 prep star Mike Miller of Mitchell, S.D., a close friend of Nelson's who signed last fall with the Gators.
Francis believes the Gators will get Nelson, hinting that the guard could commit to Florida this spring.
Williams, who speaks with Nelson and the youngster's father daily, isn't so sure.
"I don't think there's any kind of a lock on this," Williams said. "He has enough intelligence, and his parents do, too, that they're going to sit down together and not make a decision based on emotion."
Two factors seem to weigh heavily in Duke's favor. First, Nelson is an outstanding student. Both he and his parents, who are heavily involved in his decision, appreciate Duke's academic reputation.
"There's more to life after basketball, and that's something that [Nelson's family] is taking very seriously," Williams said. "I think they want the decision to be made from an objective position."
In addition to grades, Nelson might also consider guards. Florida has signed two highly touted high-school senior guards, Ted Dupay and LaDarius Halton. If Nelson picks Florida, he may have to fight for playing time in his first three years.
The Blue Devils, on the other hand, could have only one other pure guard by the time Nelson arrives. Whereas Duke's front court is stacked with young stars, freshman William Avery is the only Blue Devil guard who will not have graduated by the 1999-2000 season.
Still, Duke and Florida are not the only schools on Nelson's list. He is also considering UCLA and Kentucky, both of which he has visited, and North Carolina.
Despite being recruited by some of the nation's top programs, Nelson has tried not to let the attention go to his head.
"Brett is the type of kid where if he scored 40 points, the next day you'd never know he scored a point," Williams said. "He'd be talking to young kids, five or six years old, helping them out.
"Brett is a terrific kid to coach. He can digest anything you tell him to do."
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