The Florida Gators found Xaivian Lee while hunting for a replacement. “Xaivian will be a second-side playmaker, and then he’ll play point when [Fland] is out of the game,” Todd Golden told ESPN on October 16. But through four games, Lee hasn’t lived up to those expectations yet. He finished with just five points and went 0-for-6 from three against Miami. 

Last season, Florida State relied heavily on Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, and Alijah Martin. After the national title run, all three left for the NBA, leaving a massive void. That’s when the team acquired Lee, who arrived with a massive $6 million NIL valuation. Naturally, after the November 16 game, Golden was asked about him. 

And, Golden didn’t hold back. “He’s pretty fortunate to play for a guy like me. I’m not worried about the shooting. I concern myself more with things that don’t require talent like defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball,” he said.  Yes, Lee had a tough shooting night, going 1-for-7 from the field. But he still made an impact.

Despite the offensive struggles, he contributed five rebounds, five assists, and three steals in 27 minutes. He played with energy, made plays for teammates, and stayed active defensively. His all-around effort helped Florida control the game and secure an 82–68 win.

“He did a lot of things that helped us win. And my message to the team after the game, we didn’t get a made three from him or Bo tonight; they were 0 for 10. Just imagine how good we’re gonna be once these guys start getting some shots. We’re able to beat a team like this by double figures,” Golden added. 

Through four games, Lee shot 8-for-10 from the floor and just 6-for-35 from three. The attempts are there, but the efficiency isn’t. Still, the head coach trusts him – and we understand why. Lee tallied 1,154 points with 406 rebounds and 302 assists over three seasons at Princeton. He also made 124 career threes.

Most impressively, he became the first player in Princeton history to record a triple-double – and he did it twice in the 2024–25 season. That kind of production doesn’t vanish overnight. It simply needs time to adjust to a new role and a higher level of play. And once he settles in, he can dominate. 

But is he the only one struggling?

The Gators had picked up two wins after losing to Arizona in the opener. Yet the three games exposed one major weakness – perimeter shooting. Florida went 6-for-31 against FSU. “We’re a very transparent program,” Golden said while addressing the slump.

“I don’t think dancing around any sort of shooting slump or trying to band-aid it is the solution. I think when you have some issues or you’re not achieving as well as you want, you’ve got to stare it right in the face and attack it. I think our guys are doing that. I think our staff is doing that. We’re going back, and we’re evaluating everything that we do.”

According to Golden, the Gators shot just 24% on open catch-and-shoot threes. Two main guards – Thomas Haugh and Xaivian Lee – combined for 11 of Florida’s 19 made threes all season. “I think our whole team is in a slump shooting the basketball,” Golden admitted. “We’re right around 20%. I think we can be better than that, and I’m confident we will be.”

And yes, the team did improve. Coming into the Miami game, the efficiency improved to 31%, but Florida still shot 9-for-29 from beyond the arc. So yes – it isn’t just Lee. The entire team is fighting through a slump. But these things improve with time. The Gators took a step forward today. Now the question is: can they keep that momentum alive against Merrimack?