Xaivian Lee is making quite a name for himself in Gainesville - and now across the SEC. The Florida guard was named Southeastern Conference co-Player of the Week on Monday, sharing the honor with Texas’ Dailyn Swain. That makes Lee the fourth Gator this season to earn the weekly award, setting a new single-season program record for individual honorees.
Lee’s recognition comes on the heels of a pair of standout performances that helped Florida continue its strong push through conference play. Against Kentucky on Saturday night, Lee poured in 22 points, leading the Gators to a 92-83 win in front of a raucous home crowd.
It was his third straight game scoring in double figures, and he did it with remarkable efficiency - hitting 58.3% from the field and drilling five of his seven three-point attempts. He also chipped in three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in the win.
Earlier in the week, Lee was just as impactful on the road. In Florida’s 86-66 victory over Georgia, he again led the team in scoring with 18 points, shooting 50% from the floor. But it wasn’t just the scoring - Lee dished out seven assists, grabbed three boards, and snagged three steals in a complete, two-way performance that showcased just how much his game has matured over the course of the season.
“He’s playing great, right?” Florida head coach Todd Golden said after the Kentucky win.
“He was fantastic at Georgia, great at Vanderbilt - he’s stacked some really good games over the last couple of weeks. I thought he was fantastic today.”
Golden emphasized Lee’s poise and decision-making, particularly in the paint. “He did a really good job of playing with great patience, playing off two feet, making good decisions,” Golden said.
“And he gave us a big lift. Him and Urby [Urban Klavžar] shooting the ball like they did - that’s what allowed us to win the way we did.”
Through 25 games this season - all starts - Lee is averaging 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. His overall shooting numbers sit at 38.9% from the field and 27% from three, but those season-long stats don’t fully capture how hot he’s been lately or the rhythm he’s found in SEC play.
Lee joins teammates Thomas Haugh (Nov. 17), Rueben Chinyelu (Jan. 19), and Alex Condon (Feb. 2) as SEC Player of the Week recipients this season. That puts Florida in elite company - only three other programs in SEC history have had four different players earn the honor in a single season: 2023-24 Texas A&M, 2010-11 Vanderbilt, and 2007-08 Tennessee.
Florida has quietly - or maybe not so quietly anymore - become one of the hottest teams in the conference. The Gators are 10-2 in SEC play and have won nine of their last ten league games, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Auburn on Jan. 24.
“We’re trending,” Golden said. “I don’t necessarily have a goal of where we want to be at a certain point. We just want to get better, and we’ve definitely done that over the course of conference play.”
Golden credited the team’s depth and consistency, noting the contributions from the bench and the ability to go eight deep without much drop-off. “We’ve improved in a lot of different ways,” he said.
“Our bench has really stepped up and given us the ability to play eight and be complete that way. And we’ve been pretty consistent.”
That consistency will be tested again soon. No.
12 Florida returns to action Tuesday night at home, hosting South Carolina at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
The Gators dominated the Gamecocks in their first meeting, a 95-48 blowout in Columbia on Jan. 28.
But with the SEC standings tightening and postseason positioning on the line, every game from here on out carries weight.
Lee’s emergence as a steady, dynamic presence in the backcourt couldn’t be coming at a better time. If he keeps playing at this level - and if Florida continues to get contributions across the board - the Gators are going to be a tough out down the stretch.