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There was nothing comparable to watching Pete Maravich work his magic on the basketball court. As UCLA coach John Wooden once told Pete's dad, Press Maravich, "Don't overcoach him."

Everyone, even his teammates, had to be alert, because Pete could make the impossible pass look commonplace. The bounce pass between his legs on a fast break was a trademark. He was "Showtime" long before there was such a term. He brought the floppy gray sweat socks into national prominence.

At Stokely Athletics Center between 1967-70, Vol fans watched Maravich's exploits with amazement. It was usually this time of year, in late February or early March, when LSU came to town. The new arena was packed, and there was always great drama.

Ray Mears and his Tennessee team went after Pete with a vengeance. That didn't exactly endear Ray to Press, but that's just the way Mears was. If you wanted to play one way, he'd make you play another.

It started March 4, 1967, back when there were freshman games, that Vol fans first saw Pete.

The Tennessee varsity was getting close to an SEC title. Ron Widby closed his home career with a school-record 50 points, as the Vols won 87-60. Ron was the SEC's "Player of the Year," averaging 22.1 points per game, but Vol fans also saw something special earlier, the future, perhaps, when the two freshman teams squared off.

LSU's rookies entered that night 17-0, with Maravich averaging 44.4 points each time out. His one "bad night" was 31 points against Tulane.

Just for perspective, Jimmy England, who played against Maravich in 1969 and 1970, was averaging 24.4 points at Knoxville's Holston High and was the state's best prep player.

That night, Kerry Myers "held" Pete to 31 points. Pete missed the back end of a one-and-one in the final seconds, and the "Baby Vols" won, 75-74.

In Maravich and Dave Campbell's "Heir to a Dream," Pete recalled the aftermath of that game.

"With the score standing at Tennessee 75 and LSU 73, a foul in the final second sent me to the foul line to tie the game," he said.

It happened at the north end, right in front of UT president Andy Holt.

"In a one-and-one situation, I approached the line with confidence and sank the first basket. Then with the crowd silent, I shot the second charity shot. The ball rolled around the rim and dropped out. Time ran out, and there went our perfect season."

There's more. "I needed time alone to deal with the disappointment. Dad and the guys later discovered I had left the gym and walked the two miles back to the hotel."

The next three years, however, were unequalled in college basketball history, with Maravich averaging more than 40 points per game each season.

Tennessee won five of the six games played in Pete's varsity career, and the 1970 contest has to be on the short list of great games played at Stokely Center. The date was Feb. 23.

It was a dazzling exhibition, highlighted by Pete and England each scoring 30 points, as the game built toward a furious finish. Pete had been held to eight points in the first half, but kept his team in the game with 22 in the second.

It was nip and tuck inside the final seconds. With 21 ticks left on the clock, Maravich gave the Tigers an 86-85 lead. "He poured it in over grasping arms, seemingly winning the game with a 20-footer," Marvin West wrote for the next afternoon's News-Sentinel.

The Vols got the last shot, producing the game's final exclamation point, as Rudy Kinard hit a jumper from the corner with mere seconds left to give the Vols the victory. It capped a night both teams refused to lose.

"He set up his team beautifully in the first half," England said afterwards. "And then he took charge late in the game. Every bucket he made was a clutch shot. I tried to stay with him, but if you blink, he's gone."

Pete's three-year total of 3,667 points did not include the 741 points he had scored as a rookie in 1967. There were also no 3-point shots in Pete's day.

After making his mark in the NBA (1974-80), the cheering stopped. Pete died of a heart attack during a pick-up game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 5, 1988, at age 40, just before a scheduled appearance on "Focus on the Family."

One thing is certain. The memories of "Pistol Pete" Maravich will be etched indelibly in the consciousness of those who saw him play, either live or on television documentaries.

One warning. Don't call anybody, regardless how good they might be, the next "Pistol Pete."

There's only one.

Tom Mattingly is the author of "The Tennessee Football Vault: The Story of the Tennessee Volunteers, 1891-2006" (2006), to be published in second edition in 2008, and "Tennessee Football: The Peyton Manning Years" (1998). He may be reached at tjmshm@comcast.net. His News Sentinel blog is called "The Vol Historian."

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.