The world continues to grapple with the effects of the coronavirus, and college basketball has not been immune. The cancellation of the evaluation periods has turned one of the more exciting and insightful months of the summer into a virtual wasteland and restrictions on gyms and group gatherings have limited the ability of players at all levels to get in workouts. On Thursday, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl gave us a little taste of basketball action.

Robinson-Earl released a short video of him getting up shots in a gym with the caption “back in the lab.” For basketball-starved fans, it was a sight for sore eyes.

In case you missed one, that was a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc.

Generally, videos of a player shooting in an empty gym should be taken with a grain of salt. These are, after all, elite basketball players. But Robinson-Earl’s video carries a bit more intrigue for a pair of reasons.

The first is simply the fact that he’s in a gym and able to get up shots. As we’ve noted, under current conditions that is no easy task, and it’s great to see him able to do so.

The second, and more important reason, is the range and accuracy displayed by Robinson-Earl. Developing a consistent shot from three-point range is imperative both for his NBA prospects and for what his ceiling becomes in Villanova’s system. Robinson-Earl was almost certainly told he needed to extend his range and improve his consistency when he tested the NBA waters this spring and it’s exciting to think about what he can do at Villanova with a consistent three-point shot.

Robinson-Earl shot a decent 32.8% from three as a freshman on 2.1 attempts per game. With the early departure of Saddiq Bey, there will be extra shots to be had in 2020-21 and if JRE can shoot closer to 36 or 37% he could be absolutely lethal in Villanova’s offense. Of course, that would also be a nice thing to be able to point to the next time the NBA comes calling.

JRE has clearly been putting in the work, and it’s great to get even a brief glimpse of the results.