Sporting a Top Gun outfit with a 104 Fighter Squadron nameplate and patch sewn onto his jacket, Gary Williams stepped onto the Comcast Center court before about 10,000 Friday.

Highlighted with fog and bouncing red lights, Williams walked out in his uniform and shades, giving his trademark fist pump before addressing the crowd.

It was near the end of Maryland Madness, but Williams had a message for the official start of the Terrapin men’s basketball season.

“We have a great group of players that have worked really hard,” Williams said. “They are you, and you are a part of us. We need you to be successful.”

The night’s festivities finally ceded to a 10-minute team scrimmage, giving fans a glimpse of the Terps’ newcomers and old faces. Freshman Pe’Shon Howard impressed with his no-look passes, while guard Sean Mosley showed his offensive prowess with a game-high nine points. Everyone but freshman forward Ashton Pankey scored in an exhibition highlighted by heaps of alley-oops and dunks and little regard for defense.

“For the players, it’s a great way to enjoy themselves because practice gets pretty tough for them,” Williams said.

An alumni game kicked the night off, as Terp fans welcomed back former All-Americans Juan Dixon and Keith Booth and fan favorite Dave Neal.

Then came the dancing.

The women’s basketball team, decked out in ripped black T-shirts, jeans and painted faces, did a rendition of Michael Jackson’s famed “Thriller” dance.

Shortly after, Williams appeared on the overhead screen and delivered one of his patented pep talks to the Terps. In the brief look-in, the 22nd-year coach preached three things: style, passion and, of course, swag.

“We’ve been working hard every day,” guard Adrian Bowie said shortly before the team traded dunks for dance moves. “We’ve put in a lot of hours. I think we could be professional dancers after this.”

Sporting black jackets over their seldom-used black jerseys, the Terps finally entered, dancing to “Jump On It,” “Tootsie Roll” and other dance hits as they sought to one-up their female counterparts.

“We just have a little bit more swag than them, they get a little shy and all,” forward Cliff Tucker said.

“We have more personality, more flair,” Bowie added.

After a performance by the always-popular Gymkana Troupe, the women’s basketball team and coach Brenda Frese again took the floor, where Frese followed a well-received introduction — “Breathe if you hate Duke” — with praise for her well-conditioned team.

After a five-minute scrimmage by the women, the men’s basketball team entered from the concourse level onto the floor, collecting high-fives before they punctuated their entrance with a dunk or lay-up. Only Bowie, who tried to alley-oop the ball to himself off the backboard, missed his attempt.

“I remember [former Terp guard] Mike Jones, when he missed his three or four years ago,” Bowie said. “You miss the dunk and you never, ever hear the end of it.”

While the team could have practiced earlier Friday according to NCAA rules, Williams knew the importance of the event that started in College Park decades ago with former coach Lefty Driesell.

“We’ve got to keep the tradition going,” Williams said afterward. “This is like a thank you to the fans for what they did the last 22 years for me. For the players, it’s a great chance to enjoy themselves. This is a good night for them.”

“We’re done with preseason, and now we’re getting to play,” Bowie said. “I’m really excited, I might not go to sleep tonight.”

ceckard at umdbk dot com