Through the first 10 games of the season, the No. 23 Florida Gators have been a bit of a work in progress-especially in the backcourt.
But one of the more encouraging developments heading into the final stretch of nonconference play? The emergence of Xaivian Lee.
The former Princeton guard has found his rhythm after a rocky start, and Florida will be counting on his continued growth when they host Saint Francis (PA) on Wednesday night in Gainesville. It’s the first of three remaining tune-ups before the Gators dive into the grind of SEC play.
Lee’s turnaround hasn’t just been a personal bounce-back-it’s been a key part of Florida’s backcourt resurgence. Early-season struggles at the guard spot played a big role in losses to then-No.
1 Arizona and an unranked TCU squad. But Lee, along with fellow newcomer Boogie Fland, has started to settle in, helping stabilize a group that had to replace a ton of production from last year’s national championship team.
Florida lost its top three scorers from that title run-Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin, and Will Richard. That’s a tough hit for any team, but head coach Todd Golden went to work in the transfer portal, bringing in Lee from Princeton and Fland from Arkansas to help fill the void.
Lee, a 6-foot-4 guard from Toronto, came in with a reputation as a quick, attacking guard who could stretch the floor. But early on, the transition wasn’t smooth.
Through his first six games-including the Gators’ 84-80 loss to TCU on Nov. 27-Lee shot just 22 percent from the field (13-for-59), including a rough 16.7 percent from three (7-for-42).
It was a tough stretch, and his confidence was tested.
But lately, he’s flipped the script. Over the last four games, Lee is averaging 16.8 points per contest-up from his season average of 11-and he’s looked far more comfortable within Florida’s system.
The Gators have gone 2-2 during that stretch, with losses to top-five teams in No. 4 Duke and No.
5 UConn, but the performance has been promising.
“I try to always keep my confidence on a hundred percent no matter what,” Lee said. “But it was definitely tested early in the season.
I think that’s going to make me stronger and us better as a team, especially when we get down to SEC play. We’re not where we want to be right now, but I think we’re building to where we can be.”
Lee isn’t the only one stepping up. Florida’s offense is getting strong contributions across the board.
Forward Thomas Haugh leads the team at 18.6 points per game, with Alex Condon adding 13.9 and Fland chipping in 12. Rueben Chinyelu has been a force on the glass, averaging 9.8 points and 10.7 rebounds.
As for Wednesday’s opponent, Saint Francis (2-9) walks into Exactech Arena facing a defending national champion for the first time in program history. It’s not the first time they’ve gone up against elite competition-they played 2019 champ Virginia back in 2021-but this is a different level of challenge.
The Red Flash have had a rough go through the early part of their schedule, which was designed to be exactly that-tough. Head coach Luke McConnell made it clear before the season that he wanted his team tested early, with the hope that it would pay off once Northeast Conference play begins in January.
“We have always believed in putting together a tough and challenging nonconference schedule,” McConnell said. “Our group looks forward to the challenge… Our guys will be well prepared as we head into NEC play.”
The results so far have been lopsided. Saint Francis opened the season with blowout losses to Oklahoma and TCU-by 36 and 41 points, respectively-and they’ve struggled to find their footing since. Their most recent game was a 95-67 loss at Temple, their third defeat in the last five outings.
Still, there have been bright spots. Senior guard Skylar Wicks has been the engine for the Red Flash, leading the team in scoring six times and in rebounding eight times over 11 games. The Jersey City native is averaging 18.8 points and 7.8 boards per game-numbers that speak to his all-around impact.
For Florida, this matchup is about continuing to build momentum. The Gators are still figuring things out, but with Lee coming into form and the roster starting to gel, they’re trending in the right direction. The SEC gauntlet is looming, but for now, it’s about fine-tuning-and Wednesday night is another step in that process.