Team Defense and Team Offense

The Augusta Eagles have won three straight and five of their last seven games. The players have improved tremendously on the defensive end, with the entire team eagerly embracing the concept of team defense. The Eagles are also exercising much better shot selection and teamwork on the offensive end, resulting in higher shooting percentages and significantly higher scoring totals (for the Eagles).
In the first seven games of the season, ending with the Garden City Classic, the Eagles scored an average of 57 points per game, while the opponents of the Eagles scored an average of 65 points per game. In the last seven games, beginning with the December 8th contest against the Columbia Panthers and ending with January 14th win against the Low Country Wildcats, the Eagles have reversed these figures, scoring 64 points and giving up 52 points per contest.
An even more encouraging statistic is the performance of the team since the holidays. The players worked very hard over the break and committed to a total team effort. In the new year, the Eagles have scored an average of 72 points per game and have only surrendered 49 points per outing. At the same time, the contribution by the Eagles' bench in minutes played and all other statistical categories has skyrocketed.
The selected clip illustrates the improvement in the Eagles' team defense, rebounding, and shot selection. After ball pressure on the perimeter provides an opportunity for a Panther ball handler (#24 black) to drive to the basket, Brian Wilson (#4 white) steps into the offensive player's path to stop the drive and force an extra pass. Nathaniel Crown (#24 white), whose man is on the opposite side of the court relative to the ball, is in the proper defensive position (the middle of the lane), which allows him to "help the helper" and step in front of Wilson's man. A tough jump shot is forced. Kip Custer (#10 white) is in perfect position to box out Crown's man, and he wisely does so. The Eagles have great rebounding position and they come away with the ball.
The Eagles then unselfishly move the ball from one side of the court to another against the Panthers' zone. All five players touch the ball at some point in the possession and they are constantly looking to attack the basket with the drive and the pass. As the defense is forced to work and the offense continues to move the ball and its bodies, Kip Custer finds an opening and buries the mid range jump shot.