COLLEGE PARK - - The opponents will come soon enough.
On Friday night, the University of Maryland and its fans celebrated the game of basketball - and the band, the cheerleaders and itself - as the men's and women's teams kicked off practices for a new season with a pep rally known as "Maryland Madness."
For the men, there was a different tone to this season's "Madness."
Last season, the preseason focus was on how Maryland's undersized lineup might manage to compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Expectations were modest, and the team of overachievers surprised many pundits by advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
This year, there was plenty of optimism mingled with all the other activities at Comcast Center.
"We've definitely noticed fans' excitement about this year, and it's different from prior years," senior guard Eric Hayes said.
The evening featured an alumni game with such former stars as Keith Booth, Byron Mouton and Johnny Rhodes. There was a shooting contest and the dimmed-light introduction of both teams followed by intrasquad scrimmages.
It was a night for the first-year players - power forward Jordan Williams and James Padgett - to be nervous.
"The first time you walk out on the court, you'd better be nervous," coach Gary Williams said. "Tomorrow [at the first practice] they'll see what they have to do."
Jordan Williams missed his first shot of the 10-minute scrimmage. It was blocked by sophomore Sean Mosley, who was the star of the night as he repeatedly slashed to the basket for hoops. Williams scored later on an inside move, and Padgett had two field goals.
To Hayes, "Madness" felt the same - and different. The activities were similar, Hayes said, as was the teasing among players about who would be the first to miss a dunk or a layup.
Among those who got ribbed about dunking was Jordan Williams, who is known for shattering a backboard during his senior year of high school in Connecticut.
"We tease him about that," Hayes said. "We talk about his dad coming and unscrewing the backboard."
But Hayes said the fans' optimism made this event feel more upbeat than others.
This season's optimism results from having a veteran team - Hayes, star guard Greivis Vasquez and forward Landon Milbourne are seniors - plus the new power forwards.
