A group of reporters surrounded Mark Turgeon in the media room inside Comcast Center late Friday night, waiting to ask him questions about Maryland Madness, the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s new uniforms and Shaquille Cleare’s dance moves.

But before he fielded those questions, the second-year coach attended to more pressing matters. He wanted to know the score of the Washington Nationals game and whether or not the Baltimore Orioles had beaten the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the American League Division Series.

Considering the festivities that had just taken place on Gary Williams Court, the inquiries seemed fitting.

Maryland Madness is an annual event that’s supposed to introduce this year’s squad, kick off the new season and whip fans into a frenzy. And it figured to be bigger than ever Friday. The Terps were showcasing their new jerseys, top recruits Aaron and Andrew Harrison were reportedly planning to attend and there were even rumors that rappers Wale or Rick Ross would perform.

But when the night concluded less than two hours after it started, it was clear the event was no different than it had been in years past. The jerseys were different, but the level of excitement was the same. The Harrison twins, who committed to Kentucky two weeks ago, were at Big Blue Madness in Lexington, and the only musical performances came from a loudspeaker.

The university’s Gymkana Troupe did the same performance they always do, the student dunk contest  — in which the least lackluster dunk determined the winner — silenced the less-than-capacity crowd and the Terps women’s basketball team did a choreographed routine at midcourt wearing matching cargo shorts.

For the main event, the men’s squad donned black jumpsuits and Jabbawockeez-style white masks for its team dance, “unveiled” new uniforms — which were already being sold in the University Book Center — and played a 12-minute scrimmage that resembled an NBA All-Star Game dunk contest more than a basketball exhibition.

“Tonight’s about the players having fun. I think they had a good time,” Turgeon said. “You don’t get anything out of the game part, but I did get a feel that our guys have some dance moves, which is encouraging.”

The players’ dance moves were the night’s biggest story. Fans applauded the team’s routine, and each player got to showcase his individual talents during player introductions. Turgeon even got into the action, doing his own impression of Cleare as he poked fun at the freshman center during his crowd address.

“He ain’t got no shake in him,” Cleare said of Turgeon’s dancing. “This was for the young people to do.”

“[The dancing was] probably a C-minus,” forward Charles Mitchell said. “But we just did it to have fun with it for the fans. It wasn’t serious. We just wanted everyone to laugh at us.”

When it ended, Turgeon seemed relieved. He said he appreciated the crowd showing up despite the fact the area’s two baseball teams were both playing series-deciding playoff games. And now that the spectacle was over, he was ready for what he considered the real main event.

“I got into the wrong business. I don’t like drawing attention to myself, but unfortunately, that’s part of it,” Turgeon said. “I just can’t wait until 11 o’clock [Saturday] morning when we practice. That’s really what I’m excited about.”