The SMU men's basketball team suffered its second close loss of the season on Friday night, but it's a game that could be beneficial down the road.

The Mustangs are just six games into the season and are still figuring each other out with a new coaching staff and 10 new players on the roster. Butler ended up pulling away late in an 11-point win back on Nov. 15 in Indianapolis while Mississippi State pulled out the five-point victory in Moody last week.

"We took a two-point lead on the road at Butler in the second half and then turned the ball over and missed two layups," SMU head coach Andy Enfield said. "I think we missed 15 layups against Butler. (Friday), we finished more of our lane shots, especially around the rim, but we're very close. We're improving as a team and we're very, very close to winning some games against good teams. We just have to keep improving."

SMU already took one step forward between the Butler and Mississippi State games, now it is about taking that next step. Part of that is getting more and more time together on the court.

The Mustangs played without Turkish freshman Samet Yiğitoğlu for the first few games and only had Matt Cross for the first minute of the first game. When both were in the lineup, SMU was without AJ George due to illness.

"Early on, I feel like we're still meshing with each other," senior guard Boopie Miller said. "So these types of games (are) going to help us come close to each other, just learn from our mistakes. We don't want to really be great in the beginning. We just want to learn and get better throughout the whole season."

SMU has the ability to score. The Mustangs average 89.7 points per game this season, eclipsing the 100-point mark twice and falling four points shy another time. But it's finding consistency that will be key moving forward.

Anyone can score at any time, too. Miller, Chuck Harris and Yiğitoğlu all average in double figures offensively. B.J. Edwards and Yohan Traore are just under 10 points per game while Kario Oquendo and Cross average over eight. Those seven plus Keon Ambrose-Hylton all have at least two games scoring in double digits.

But there can't be lulls along the way.

"We don't have trouble scoring the ball. I think offensively, we're pretty good," Enfield said. "We have a lot of guys that can't score it. … As long as we share the basketball, make the right basketball play over and over, it's very contagious. 

"When we pass the ball at the right time, I think our team is really good offensively. But if we don't and take tough shots and turn the ball over, (we're not). So, still a work in progress, but we can score the ball."

The move to the ACC brings more games against opponents like Butler and Mississippi State than not. Learning from those losses could be key to turning them into victories come conference play.

"The margin of error is very small when these games happen, two good teams compete for 40 minutes," Enfield said. "Just came down to maybe one play, one or two plays, late. So we're disappointed, but we have a long season ahead and get back Sunday and prepare for our next trip."

SMU is in Palm Spring, Calif. for a pair of games in the Acrisure Holiday Invitational on Tuesday and Wednesday. Not only will it provide two more chances for the Mustangs to get more comfortable with each other on the court, it is also a chance to bond off the court.

As those two things mesh, the wins will follow.

"Just traveling in general, being in the hotel together in downtime, just all the little things like that will always help with bonding," Cross said. "I think it's good. We're ready. I think we know we need to win this and we're hungry for it."