Friday, February 20, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
OXFORD, Miss. – Florida senior guard Xaivian Lee felt OK about his performance in Tuesday night's home win over South Carolina. He had nine points and seven assists, but also a career-high five turnovers. He chalked up the latter to being aggressive in a game the Gators were trying to speed up their opponent.
So, it wasn't SEC Player of the Week stuff. Lee checked that box the week before when he averaged 20.0 points on 54% overall shooting, 44% from the 3-point line and 5.0 assists in wins at Georgia and home against Kentucky. Against the Gamecocks, he was pleased with what he did well and didn't overreact to areas he might have been better.
"It wasn't that loud of a game, but I thought the team was in a good rhythm and I thought I was flowing pretty well," Lee said of his team's 76-62 victory. "I felt good out there."
It's a fresh and rational perspective, and perhaps represents a microcosm of just where the Florida's all-around mindset rests heading into the home stretch of the 2025-26 season. Lee, the play-making combo who transferred from Princeton, has certainly had ups and downs during his SEC indoctrination, but he knows his role and value to the 12th-ranked and conference-leading Gators (20-6, 11-2), who will take a season-best six-game winning streak into Saturday's road date against Ole Miss (11-15, 3-10) at The Pavilion.
[Read senior writer Chris Harry's "Pregame Stuff" setup here]
Suffice to say, Lee and his teammates have come a long way since the Nov. 3 season-opening loss to Arizona in Las Vegas. In the locker room following that one, Lee approached point guard Boogie Fland – after just their first game together for the reigning NCAA champion – and advised his fellow transfer not to look at social media.
Fland was a step ahead. He'd already deleted Twitter from his phone. Xaivian Lee
As for Lee and social media, he's mostly logged out of his main accounts and whatever time he spends scrolling is on guitar, art and poetry sites.
"Honestly, it's relaxing," Lee said. "I don't need to think about basketball 24/7."
His current head space reflects the Florida locker room. After starting 9-5, including 0-1 in SEC play, the Gators have won 11 of 12 and rocketed back into the national conversation, as well as top-10 status in the metrics that matter – the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), KenPom.com, etc. – and now have the momentum of a team with a two-game lead atop the conference standings with five to play. A victory Saturday over the Rebels, losers of eight straight, will inch the Gators that much closer to their first regular-season league crown in 12 years.
They've come a long way since Vegas. Mizzou, too.
"Our issue early in the year, I don't want to say it was [being] selfish, but was more of just the pressure of meeting expectation and not shooting the ball as well as people expected," UF coach Todd Golden said. "We [got] through losses and now, as we've gotten more comfortable playing together, I think our guys have a much better understanding of what makes us who we are. Now, our collective buy-in on that has been great."
And this is where the Florida stock has sold at its highest:
Defense: UF ranks No. 4 in the country in overall efficiency, including fifth in guarding the 2-point (46.0%).
Rebounding: The Gators are the No. 2 offensive rebounding team in the nation, grabbing nearly 43% of their misses, which helps diffuse their poor shooting numbers (29.4%) from the 3-point line. They also rank No. 8 on the defensive boards (24.3%), meaning opponents are denied second-chance opportunities on 75.7% of their misses.
Taking care of the ball: During the win streak, UF is averaging just 9.5 turnovers per game. The team goal is always less than 12.
Xaivian Lee (1), in addition to hitting some big shots for the Gators this season, has been solid on the defensive end, also.
Lee, who goes by "X" to his teammates, has defined the buy-in as much as anyone. He was a first-team All-Ivy League performer who averaged 17.0 points his last two seasons at Princeton with one of the highest-usage numbers in the nation. His points and shooting percentage are down from his career bests, but he's more than come to terms with that as the team has improved with each week.
Earlier this month, for example, Lee went through a three-game stretch when he totaled 22 points and hit just one of 14 from the 3-point line in blowout victories at South Carolina, Alabama and at Texas A&M. He also had 14 assists and just two turnovers in those games.
"I was in bit of a shooting slump, but I also felt really good on the court," Lee said. "I felt like I was playing the right way."
Just like the team.
Then came 18 points, seven assists and no turnovers in the 20-point win at Georgia, followed by his UF career-best 22 points, four 3-balls and three steals against Kentucky, with the two performances leading to SEC Player of the Week honors.
Golden has praised Lee's development in the system, especially his poise and ball security (34 assists, 9 turnovers during the six-game streak).
"He's just really smart out there and has a knack for making the right play," Golden said.
And those plays are coming more often now, as Lee, gaining confidence by the day, leans into the role he has carved for himself.
"I'm having a lot more fun now that I'm playing better and the team is succeeding. I think we're all well-established in our roles now and that's helped us succeed," Lee said. "I'm just feeling really comfortable out there now and I think that's showing."
