“Of course they can’t win… geez!” That’s what fans were saying just before tip-off, and honestly, who could blame them? Literally no one expected the Florida Gators to topple the Providence Friars this way, especially without Alex Condon. But once the game started, the team’s most inconsistent player suddenly remembered how to shoot, and the entire momentum flipped. His impact was so strong that Todd Golden ended up sharing real admiration for the 21-year-old Xaivian Lee after the win.

Well, we all know Xaivian Lee! Yes, the same guy who had been struggling all season, shooting only 23 percent from the field and 16.7 percent from three. Then came the Providence game, and suddenly everything changed. The Princeton transfer dropped a season-high 20 points with seven rebounds and four assists. Most of the damage came in the second half, including two threes in a row. And of course, that kind of moment makes any coach smile. So did the Todd Golden.

The Israeli American head coach made sure everyone knew exactly who sparked the turnaround. He said, “You have to credit Xaivian. He stayed the course and, to his credit, looked like the guy that we expected when he joined us in the summer and what we’ve seen in practice — in a couple of our scrimmages, or one of our scrimmages.”

And he was right about Xaivian Lee. His breakout didn’t just boost the box score. It solved Florida’s biggest headache of the season: playing without Alex Condon, who has been one of their best players. For 2025-26, he’s averaging about 15.7 points and 8.7 rebounds while shooting nearly 56.6 percent, so losing him wasn’t a small thing. Yet even without him, Florida’s frontcourt never skipped a beat.

Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu both delivered double-doubles, and Urban Klavzar came off the bench firing, dropping 18 points to keep the offense rolling. Boogie Fland added 17 points and four threes to finish off a true team effort. Hence, Florida dominated the boards  90-78 and executed as a team.

Next up, they hope to get Alex Condon back in time for the SEC-ACC Challenge against Duke, but after Friday’s performance, the Gators have proven they don’t need to rely on a single star to shine. And it does make you wonder: what exactly kept Condon out of the game?

Why did Alex Condon sit out against Providence, which made Xaivian Lee the star of the night?

Florida entered Friday’s matchup against Providence without Alex Condon. The junior forward was sidelined after taking a hit to the chin during the Gators’ 84 to 80 loss the night before. According to a team spokesperson, the decision to keep him out was purely precautionary.

The contact happened on a drive to the basket by Reuben Chinyelu, who bumped into Condon as he finished a layup. Condon stayed in the game afterward and still delivered eight points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, which shows how tough he played through it. Still, the staff felt it was smarter to rest him instead of risking any lingering effects. After everything he’s been through this year, a little caution seems only fair.

Earlier in the year, Condon suffered a sprained right ankle just 30 seconds into a game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs back in February 2025. He landed awkwardly and had to exit early. X‑rays came back negative, but he was still sidelined for several games, missing at least four as the team made sure he recovered fully.

Irrespective of these blunders, Condon has been one of the anchors of Florida this season. The forward 6 ft. 11 has played all the games with an average of 15.7 points. But he was out on Friday, and the Gators had to change their starters for the first time of the year- the move enabled Xaivian Lee to come into the limelight. Nevertheless, they managed to do business, and it made the win even more impressive and provided fans with even more excitement about the moment when Condon will come back to the floor.