The attitudes around the SMU men's basketball locker room were at a high as the Mustangs prepare for Tuesday's season opener against Jacksonville State. Give partial credit for the positivity to how the Mustangs performed over the weekend in a secret scrimmage against Oklahoma.

SMU coach Tim Jankovich is looking for a team with eight newcomers to quickly show cohesion, and against the Sooners, he said on Monday that he saw some things he can definitely work with. Jankovich's squad had multiple moments of it looking the part against an Oklahoma team that lost to eventual national champion Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

For SMU, a team that was 15-17 last season, playing the Big 12 opponent close gave Jankovich hope for the immediate future -- particularly with so many new faces.

New subscribers: FREE PREMIUM ACCESS TRIAL until the end of the football team's regular season!