After last season’s 3-19 finish, Bethlehem Catholic’s boys’ basketball team can really only go one way, and that’s up.

The Hawks enter this season with a fresh dose of optimism with new head coach and former Allen great Ray Barbosa at the helm.

“We have a good mix of players which includes good guards and big men,” Barbosa said. “We have guards that can shoot the ball well. This team still needs to work on learning how to play with each other.”

Returning for the Golden Hawks include senior guard DeAndre Tillett, who averaged 14.7 points a game last year and who is Barbosa’s brother.

Senior forward Andrew Posch (6-4, 8.7 ppg) also brings back size and experience.

Becahi will also benefit from the transfer of senior forward Kweku Dawson-Amoah from Phillipsburg.

The 6-5 big man gives the Hawks a formidable inside presence with the ability to finish around the rim.

Other newcomers include seniors Antwon Keenan (Sr., G), Julian Spigner (Sr., F) and Justin Paz (Fr., G).

After falling to a talented Delaware Valley Charter team 65-55 over the weekend at Moravian College’s Steel City Challenge, Barbosa is preaching patience to his group as they gear up for East Penn Conference play this week with their league opener against Allen on Thursday night at home.

“The coaching staff has been preaching to all the players that it’s a marathon, not a race,” said Barbosa. “Hopefully, the experience gained in the first half of the season will give us confidence to play well at the end of the season.

“We would like to compete for the district playoffs. In order to do this, we need to learn how to play well together and buy into our system.”