There were plenty of fireworks and laser lights, and the Comcast Center crowd erupted as the Terrapin men’s basketball team entered the arena floor.

But there was a different feel Friday at Maryland Madness.

Aside from the earlier start time, there was no Harley-Davidson or stock car, no chest-thumping or showboating during player introductions.

Instead, when the Terps were scheduled to be introduced, they emerged from the tunnel together.

“Our theme [Friday night was] team,” coach Gary Williams said. “The last couple years have been great, but it’s been a little bit individual. We are trying to be a little more of a team, like the New England Patriots.”

Williams addressed the sell-out crowd, thanking them for their support, prior to the Terps’ scrimmage.

Junior guard Mike Jones scored the first five points for the red team and finished with 19 points in the 15-minute scrimmage. Senior guard Chris McCray did not play because of a sprained ankle.

For the first time, fans watched junior college transfer Parrish Brown and freshman David Neal perform as Terps.

Brown – who will battle with Sterling Ledbetter and D.J. Strawberry for time as point guard this season – finished with eight points. Neal, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward, showed some range, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.

Before the men’s team was introduced, Terp women’s coach Brenda Frese and her squad took the floor.

Frese, whose team is ranked in the top 15 in several preseason publications, has six high school All-Americans on her roster. After the Terps finished 10-18 in her first season with the program, Frese has inked three consecutive top-10 recruiting classes.

“There’s a lot of excitement surrounding this team,” said Frese, who led the Terps to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances the past two seasons.

“Our players believed and came to Maryland for the right reasons. It’s a dream come true. I always believed it could happen here and it’s great to see that dream come to a reality.”

Though several schools have stopped celebrating the season’s first practice, Williams said he isn’t sure how the tradition will continue. Many programs had their first live practice Friday night.

“It bothers me,” said Williams of other teams getting a head start on practice. “Hopefully, one night doesn’t affect anything. I just want to read things and get the opinion from other coaches throughout the country to see where this is going to go.”

The men’s exhibition season begins Nov. 5 against St. Francis Xavier of Canada. The women’s only exhibition contest is scheduled for Nov. 12 against EA Sports.

“During the season, it’s all business,” senior Nik Caner-Medley said. “This is just a night we can have some highlights. The best part is having a good time and interacting with the fans.”

Contact reporter Scott Clipp at clippdbk@gmail.com.