Deadspin | No. 23 Florida hopes to get on track hosting Saint Francis

[ad_1] Dec 9, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Florida Gators guard Boogie Fland (0) drives previous UConn Huskies ahead Alex Karaban (11) within the second half at Madison Sq. Backyard. Obligatory Credit score: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Photos By way of 10 nonconference video games, the No. 23 Florida Gators have confronted scrutiny over their backcourt play, however guard Xaivian Lee has discovered from the primary a part of the season and turned his sport round.

The Gators and the previous Princeton participant will begin the primary of their remaining trio of non-Southeastern Convention video games Wednesday evening towards the Saint Francis (PA) Crimson Flash of the Northeast Convention in Gainesville, Fla.

Lee has been a big a part of the backcourt's rebound from early poor play, which led to losses towards then-No. 1 Arizona and unranked TCU.

Florida (6-4) misplaced game-changing guards Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard -- the highest three scorers -- off final season's nationwide championship-winning squad, and Lee (Princeton) and fellow backcourt mate Boogie Fland (Arkansas) have been essential items coach Todd Golden introduced in to fill the scoring ledger.

It began slowly for Lee, a 6-foot-4 Toronto native who performed three seasons for the Ivy League's Tigers.

An up-tempo, driving, streaky shooter, Lee shot simply 22 p.c (13 of 59) from the sphere in his first six video games by means of the Gators' 84-80 loss to TCU on Nov. 27. Worse but, he made simply seven of 42 3-pointers (16.7 p.c).

However Lee, who averages 11 factors per outing, is scoring 16.8 over the previous 4 contests wherein the Gators have gone 2-2 with defeats towards No. 4 Duke and No. 5 UConn.

"I attempt to all the time hold my confidence on 100 (p.c) it doesn't matter what, but it surely was positively examined early within the season, however I feel that is going to make me stronger and us higher as a staff, (particularly) after we get all the way down to SEC play," mentioned Lee, who additionally averages 5 rebounds. "We're not the place we need to be proper now, however I feel we're constructing to the place we could be."

Three different Gators rating greater than Lee: Thomas Haugh (18.6), Alex Condon (13.9) and Fland (12).

Rueben Chinyelu posts 9.8 factors and 10.7 boards.

In taking the courtroom towards Florida, Saint Francis (2-9) will likely be going through a defending nationwide champion for the primary time ever. The college additionally performed 2019 nationwide champion Virginia in 2021, the season after COVID claimed the 2020 marketing campaign and produced no title-winning staff.

Earlier than the season opened, coach Luke McConnell mentioned a rigorous early schedule could be useful when his membership begins NEC motion by internet hosting Le Moyne on Jan. 2.

"Now we have all the time believed in placing collectively a troublesome and difficult nonconference schedule," McConnell mentioned. "Our group seems to be ahead to the problem and I'm excited to compete with them towards some high-level competitors from throughout the nation. Our guys will likely be effectively ready as we head into NEC play."

The highway has been robust thus far for the Crimson Flash.

They opened by being pounded by Oklahoma and TCU by 36 factors and 41, respectively, setting the tone for a irritating begin.

Of their most up-to-date outing Sunday, they misplaced 95-67 at Temple, a second straight setback and their third prior to now 5 contests.

Over 11 video games, senior Skylar Wicks has been the excessive scorer on six events and led in rebounding eight occasions. The guard from Jersey Metropolis, N.J., is averaging 18.8 factors per sport and seven.8 rebounds.