Florida Gators G Xaivian Lee Finding Footing and Shot

Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee is starting to emerge as one of the team's top shooters after a string of strong performances.

Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee is starting to emerge as one of the team's top shooters after a string of strong performances. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee began the 2025-26 season with a rough string of performances for his team. He could not get any of his shots to go through the hoop and was not playing to the necessary level on the other end of the court. 

That is a thing of the past now for Lee, though, as he has begun to find his footing over the past five games for the Gators, with his offense being the most improved. 

For starters, Lee was shooting just 22 percent from the field overall and 16.7 percent from deep in the first six games of the year. That includes a 5-for-17 outing against Arizona, a 2-for-13 day versus Florida State and a 0-for-6 game against Merrimack. Shots, despite selection, were just not falling. 

However, the numbers have vastly improved over the previous five contests. 

Lee is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from behind the arc over his last five games. That includes games where he scored 24 points against George Washington, 20 points against Providence, 19 points against UConn, and 18 points against Saint Francis. 

Furthermore, he has hit four triples on two separate occasions during this stretch. He first did it in the contest against Providence and then again two games ago versus George Washington. 

Yeahhhh Lee

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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 18, 2025

As for his latest game, he finished with 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting and 2-for-4 from three. He also had two assists, four rebounds and one steal in the win over Saint Francis. 

After the game, he was asked what had been different for him over the recent weeks. He responded by saying it all comes down to him just hitting shots. 

“Shots are just starting to fall, so it looks a lot better, honestly. I feel the same out there,” Lee said. “I’ve been sticking to the same process, and things are starting to go.”

One reason for the inconsistency throughout the early going could be tied to the pressure he places on himself. Now that he is seeing the numbers improve and the shots going through the hoop, he feels some of that pressure being lifted. 

“I’ve definitely experienced more than other times. I think I’m my own biggest critic, so it hasn’t helped,” he said on Wednesday. “A little pressure off now that the numbers are a little bit better.” 

Lee also mentioned that his teammates and coaches are in his corner, which is most important. 

“My teammates believe in me, my coaches believe in me, and that’s all that really matters,” he added. 

makin' it look easy

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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) December 17, 2025

It has not just been an offensive improvement for Lee; he has also taken a step forward defensively.

The senior has logged two steals twice in the past four games and at least one steal in each of the last four. It is more than just numbers, though; he has been better at keeping himself in front of his opponent and limiting the opposing team’s shooters, too, said Gators head coach Todd Golden. 

“Yeah, he’s defended hard for us all year. He’s done a really good job taking away shooters,” Golden said. “He’s quick, does a good job recovering and getting through screens, and he’s been mentally tough enough to do it so far.”

It also helps that his confidence in his defensive abilities is at an all-time high. Lee said following the win over Saint Francis that he believes this is the most confident he has been on defense in his entire life. 

He was asked about his defensive improvement after Wednesday's win over Saint Francis.

“I’m glad you asked that,” Lee said. “A couple weeks back, we played Duke, and I was thinking, I’m the most confident defender I’ve ever been in my entire life right now, so there’s a positive in that. I’ve got to control what I can, so I’ve been trying to guard a little better.”

The Princeton transfer is starting to turn things around for the better at the right time. With just two games remaining in the non-conference slate, he must maintain this level of play to help the Gators make a strong statement at the start of SEC play.