NEW YORK — No. 23 Florida (6–4 overall, 0–0 Southeastern Conference) walked out of Madison Square Garden on Dec. 9 with another loss, but Xaivian Lee walked out with something closer to an arrival after a disappointing start to the season.
Lee — the former Princeton standout and now senior guard for the reigning national champion Florida Gators — delivered one of his best performances in a Gator uniform in a 77–73 loss to No. 5 UConn (10–1, 0–0 Big East) in the Jimmy V Classic.
“It's an incredible opportunity obviously playing great teams,” Lee told The Daily Princetonian postgame. “I’d like to win more, but I’ve been trying to soak it all in and play well.”
Despite a rough shooting night from beyond the arc (one-for-seven from three), Lee finished with 19 points and five rebounds and did not commit a turnover against the Huskies, winners of the 2023 and 2024 national championships and one of the favorites to win it all in 2026.
“I thought Lee took a big step for them tonight in a big game at MSG, showing what he’s capable of,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley told the ‘Prince.’
“Once they get that backcourt comfortable and play together more, they’re as good as anybody we’ve played or watched on film,” he continued.
Florida head coach Todd Golden struck a similar tone, praising Lee while also making clear what needs to come next.
Xaivian Lee and Todd Golden speaking to reporters at the postgame press conference.
Hayk Yengibaryan / The Daily Princetonian
“Proud of this guy next to me,” Golden said. “I thought he had his best game in a Gator uniform. I tell him this all the time. He needs to shoot the ball a little bit better. One-for-seven is not good enough, but I thought he played a great floor game.”
“To finish with 19 and five, no turnovers against a good offensive team, got on the glass. I thought he played really good winning basketball tonight. Now we need him and [sophomore Boogie Fland] to play well together,” Golden said.
Finding rhythm with his new backcourt remains part of Florida’s early season struggles. Lee has started in Florida’s backcourt alongside Boogie Fland, a transfer from Arkansas who averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.2 rebounds as a first-year. But early on, the duo has struggled to find nights when both guards are clicking at the same time.
Lee said the setting did not overwhelm him, even at one of the most famous arenas in the world.
“Obviously MSG is one of the best venues in the whole world,” he said. “I didn’t really feel it too much in the game honestly. I was focused on playing, but [during] the shootaround and stuff. I was kind of just looking around.”
At Princeton, Lee rarely played in marquee games. Across three seasons with the Tigers, the only Power Five opponent the Orange and Black played in the regular season was Rutgers.
Under head coach Mitch Henderson ’98, Lee was a two-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selection. Over three seasons, he totaled 1,154 points, 406 rebounds, 302 assists, 124 made 3-pointers, and 81 steals, appearing in 91 games with 59 starts. In his final year at Old Nassau, he averaged 16.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while shooting nearly 37 percent from beyond the arc.
When Lee entered the transfer portal last spring, he visited Kansas and St. John’s before choosing Florida. At the time, Lee told the ‘Prince’ that the Gators “checked all the boxes” and that it “felt like the perfect fit.”
In April, Lee said his focus going forward was “changing my body, getting stronger, putting on weight,” pointing to Florida’s resources as an SEC program. Heading into the season, Lee told reporters, “I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life right now … I gained like 10 pounds.”
Through 10 games with the Gators, Lee’s season has had both flashes and frustration. He scored 14 points and dished out five assists in his Florida debut against then No. 13 and now No. 1 Arizona (9–0, 0–0 Big 12) and later led Florida with 20 points in a win over Providence.
However, he’s also struggled. In a Nov. 11 game against Florida State, Lee finished with nine points on one-for-10 shooting from three. Following that game, he saw less time against Miami, Merrimack, and TCU, averaging 3.3 points in three contests.
Lee has been blunt about the next step. After the MSG game, he told Chris Harry of FloridaGators.com, “I need to start making some (expletive) shots, that’s what I need to do. When I start making shots, we’re going to be so (expletive) good. Not to put pressure on myself, but it’s true.”
Four days later, he backed it up with his best scoring output. In Florida’s 80–70 win over George Washington in the Orange Bowl Classic on Saturday, Lee scored 24 points, hit four 3-pointers, grabbed six rebounds and added four assists in 36 minutes, earning event MVP honors.
Florida has not yet reached the version of itself that defined last year’s title winning team. However, Lee’s upward trajectory is a positive sign for a Gator team with championship aspirations.
Hayk Yengibaryan is a head News editor, senior Sports writer, and education director for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. and typically covers breaking news and profiles. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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