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Maryland Madness 2015: Terps tip off season with hype, magic

A red curtain draped behind a super-sized crystal ball replaced one end of the court at a semi-filled Xfinity Center for Maryland's tipoff of the basketball season.

Magician J.P. Wilson gave the crowd some preliminary "oohs" and "ahhs," foreshadowing the reactions of Terps fans watching their pre-season Big Ten favorite men's and women's basketball teams throughout the winter months in College Park. Wilson turned red, black and gold scarves into a Maryland flag and his assistant disappeared in small boxes, only to emerge for the final time wearing a Terps jersey.

Following the magic theme, none other than Walt "The Wizard" Williams, the former No.