As early-season loss to a young team, featuring more turnovers than I’d like to see and disconcerting trouble at the foul line, is something that, last year, would have shaken my confidence in the Hawks. But Tuesday night’s 72-69 loss to Syracuse didn’t disappoint me so much as it did show promise for the coming months. Though sloppy play did the Hawks in, they also showed improved team defense and more shooting and passing confidence when facing a zone defense. Pat Calathes, who has taken his share of hits from me, played one of the best games of his SJU career, and newcomer Tasheed Carr (a transfer from Iowa State with sophomore eligibility) and sophomore Darrin Govens provided a much-needed leadership boost. Sure, 1-1 is not as good as 2-0, but seeing the strides the Hawks made, even in a loss, I’ll take it.

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