Gonzaga may have just finished building the roster piece that changes the ceiling of its 2026-27 team.
For most of the offseason, the Bulldogs already looked loaded up front. Braden Huff is back, Massamba Diop arrived from Arizona State, and Gonzaga also had reason to feel good about the return of sophomore guards Mario Saint-Supery and Davis Fogle, both of whom were viewed as breakout candidates.
Then Saint-Supery decided to go back home to Spain and play for Valencia overseas, and that immediately left Gonzaga with a glaring need in the backcourt. The Bulldogs needed a lead guard, and on Wednesday night they found one in a market full of fifth-year players chasing extra eligibility because of the lawsuits spreading across the country.
Xaivian Lee is the kind of pickup that can tilt a season. The 6-foot-3 guard spent his first three years at Princeton, where he picked up All-Ivy League honors multiple times, before transferring to Florida last season. He started all 35 games for the Gators and put up 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 42% from the field.
His Florida season wasn’t spotless early on, especially in non-conference play, but he settled in once SEC play began. That stretch included 22 points against Kentucky and a strong road performance at Ole Miss, where he finished with 11 points and 10 assists.
Lee now joins a Gonzaga backcourt that already has plenty of names. Dayton transfer Javon Bennett is in the mix after averaging 15.8 points and 2.9 assists, former Houston guard and five-star prospect Isiah Harwell is there, and so is Nathan De Sousa, a 23-year-old French guard prospect coming from overseas.
But there’s still some unfinished business before the whole thing is locked in. Lee and Bennett both need court orders to be able to play, Bennett’s Ohio case is currently on a stay, and De Sousa has not been officially cleared by the NCAA for next season.
That uncertainty matters, but the upside is obvious. If Gonzaga gets those decisions to land its way, this is the kind of roster that belongs in the top 10 conversation and can talk seriously about the Final Four. Even with his uneven stretches, Lee still started for a Florida team that earned a No. 1 seed.
In Other News...
Brent Key Still Sounds Bitter About Floridas Center Move
Georgia Techs offensive line conversation keeps circling back to one familiar name, and it is not hard to see why. Harrison Moore logged meaningful snaps at center and guard for the Yellow Jackets last season before transferring to Florida, following offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner in the process. With Moore gone, Georgia Tech has had to sort through a new look in the middle, and Brent Key made it clear during a recent press conference that the positions instability from a year ago is still fresh in his mind.
For Florida, Moore adds another piece to the roster as the Gators continue building around transfers with experience up front. For Georgia Tech, the search for continuity now turns to Alabama transfer Joseph Ionata, who is set to fill the vacancy left behind. Keys comments suggested the Yellow Jackets have not fully moved past how disruptive the center situation became, even if the roster has already moved on to the next answer. [Read more 🡒]
Floridas First Offensive Depth Chart Hint Fans Will Want To See
Fall camp is in the books, and Florida is moving into the next phase of its preseason buildup with its first depth chart for the 2026 season expected early next week. For a team trying to establish some early order on offense, that release will give a much clearer look at how the Gators line up after weeks of practice and competition across the unit.
Aaron Philo is projected to open as the starting quarterback, but the rest of the offensive picture will be just as closely watched, from the running backs and receivers to the tight ends and offensive line. With spots still being sorted out and roles beginning to settle, the depth chart should offer the first real snapshot of where Florida stands before the season starts to demand answers. [Read more 🡒]
Florida Fans Will Love What Sumrall Is Fixing First
Jon Sumrall is wasting no time trying to tighten up the details that can decide a game in October or November. This weekend, Florida plans to stage a mock game to work through unusual situations and new rules, including the fair catch free kick, with the idea of putting players in scenarios that standard practice periods do not always cover. It is the kind of early emphasis that can reveal how seriously a staff is treating the hidden parts of football, not just the headline-grabbing ones.
For Florida fans, the appeal is obvious after the previous eras special teams issues under Billy Napier. Special teams can flip field position, swing momentum and, in a few strange cases, become the difference between a win and a loss, so Sumralls decision to drill those moments right away signals a more detailed approach to the job. The mock game will not answer every question about the Gators, but it does offer a first look at what this staff believes needs fixing first. [Read more 🡒]