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NEW YORK — What was a weakness has become a strength. And the transformation occurred just in time.
For most of this season, Villanova was among the worst schools in the country shooting threes.
Through the Xavier loss on Feb. 24, Villanova was shooting 32.8 percent from three-point range.
That placed it 259th out of 351 Division I schools through 28 games.
Which is terrible.
Since then?
It's looked like a different team.
The Wildcats have made 69 of 159 shots from distance the last seven games, good for 43.4 percent.
‘Nova is actually 19th-best in Division I since the Marquette game on Feb. 27.
That’s a 32 percent improvement. And that’s remarkable.
“I think we’re just being smarter now, taking smarter shots,” freshman guard Jalen Brunson said. “Beginning of the year, Coach said we had a lot of great shooters taking bad shots, and I think we really just cut down the bad shots and are making smarter decisions.
“If a guy is flying at us, swing the ball around and when you have an open look, knock it down, and we’ve been doing that.”
The first 28 games of the season, Villanova shot 40 percent from three only five times — East Tennessee State in November, La Salle and Xavier in December, Seton Hall in January and Creighton in February.
Now it's done it in five of its last seven games going into its NCAA South Region second-round game Sunday afternoon against Iowa at the Barclays Center.
On Friday, the Wildcats made 46 percent of their threes (13 of 28) against UNC Asheville, the No. 1 three-point defense in Division I.
And in March, the Wildcats have actually been one of the hottest three-point shooting teams in the country.
Here’s where Villanova ranked in Division I in three-point shooting by month this season:
November — 273rd (30.2 percent)
December — 177th (34.6 percent)
January — 297th (30.7 percent)
February — 131st (36.3 percent)
March — 24th (43.7 percent)
“I think it’s just the flow of the game,” senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono said. “I think we’re taking good looks.
"Earlier in the year I think we were just catching and shooting everything and not mixing it up, but I think we’re doing a good job now mixing it up, and I think we’re really sharing the ball offensively and the right guys are taking the right shots at the right time.”
All five of Villanova’s three-point shooters — the four starters plus Phil Booth — have improved dramatically over the last eight games.
Here’s a look at Arcidiacono, Booth, Brunson, Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart through the Xavier game and since.
Jenkins — 34 percent to 46
Hart — 34 percent to 50
Arcidiacono — 35 percent to 46
Brunson — 37 percent to 42
Booth — 27 percent to 36
Every one of them has improved significantly.
“I think when you look at our three-point shooting, you have to look at everybody's role this year vs. last year," associate head coach Baker Dunleavy said after Villanova's practice at the Barclays Center on Saturday.
"Look at the continuity we had last year as far as playing time, roles, starting time. Whereas this year, we had a younger team at the start, and a lot of guys in different roles, new roles.
“So it was, ‘Where am I going to get my shots? Where does Coach want me shooting? Where am I supposed to be in this situation?’
“You look at a guy like Kris Jenkins. Last year, he was a 17-, 18-minute-a-game guy and he just came into games and took threes. Now, he comes into a main role this year, and he had to learn, ‘Where do I get my shots?’
"A guy like him, early on, he wasn't shooting the ball well, but as he’s grown more into his new role, he’s more comfortable, taking better shots and shooting better. And I think that's really true for all of them."
After a particularly ugly three-point shooting game against Oklahoma, the coaches put together a video showing all the misses — all 28 of them.
“Oklahoma game was probably the pinnacle of, ‘Do they shoot too many threes?’” Hart said. “I think we were 4 for 32 or something atrocious? I think out of those 32, we looked at 17 or 18 that were contested threes. So it was a matter of eliminating the ones that were contested.
“Now we’re taking them more in the flow of the offense. Extra pass. Turning down OK shots for better shots. Getting it inside, getting it out. I think earlier, we were making one or two passes, then jack the three up. Now we’re just trying to be smarter about it.”
All of which brings us to Sunday.
Villanova is 0-6 in its last six NCAA Tournament games against teams not seeded 15th or 16th and is trying to avoid becoming the first team in tournament history to lose as a No. 1 or 2 seed three straight years to an opponent seeded seventh or worse.
The Wildcats shot just 32 percent from three in last year’s tournament loss to NC State, and in their last 11 NCAA Tournament games against teams seeded 14th or better, they're shooting a miserable 27 percent from three (62 for 231).
Villanova has won 31 straight games — and 47 of 48 — when it makes at least 40 percent of its three-pointers. The Wildcats' only loss during that span came at Creighton in a game in which Doug McDermott scored 39 points.
They always seem to get cold from deep this time of year. Maybe the last few weeks are a sign that Sunday could be different.
“You can be saved by the three or you can die by the three,” Hart said. “We’re going to take our threes when we’re open, but we’re going to focus on getting the best shot, whether it’s a three or going inside. Just focus on getting the best shot.”