Among the reasons in December why Florida looked like it was destined to be bounced early from the NCAA Tournament was due to the play from Xaivian Lee. The Gators were recognized for having one of the best frontcourts in the country, but Lee and fellow guard Boogie Fland couldn’t hit a shot to save their life and Florida fans were having buyer’s remorse after picking up the two from the transfer portal.
But steadily, Florida’s guards have been playing better, and after the Gators buried Kentucky, it was Lee who earned an honor no one would have predicted back in December.
Xaivian Lee earns SEC Player of the Week honors
Xaivian Lee was named the SEC Player of the Week on Monday. This was in addition to the Gators getting bumped up to No. 12 in the country in the AP Top 25 poll that was also released on Monday.
Between Florida’s win over Georgia and Kentucky, Lee averaged 20 points, five assists, and 2.5 rebounds between the two games. Lee was also 7-16 from three, had four steals, and only committed two turnovers last week.
The three-point shooting in particular was massive for Florida. The give an idea of how big Lee’s week was: he had made only 12 three-pointers in all of SEC play prior to last week.
Lee’s week also highlights what the ceiling for the Gators can be if everything clicks in March. Florida’s rebounding rate right now is on track to be one of the best ever in the modern era of college basketball. Opponents right now are basically forced to gamble that Lee and the rest of Florida’s guards won’t hit shots because they have no answers for the frontcourt of the Gators.
But if Lee can keep up his hot shooting, the chances of Florida cutting down nets in April are going to continue to rise.
The week ahead
Florida is set to host South Carolina tonight at 7 PM on the SEC Network. The Gators won the road trip to South Carolina a couple of weeks ago, 95-48, and the Gators are 23.5-point favorites tonight.
Florida will then hit the road to Oxford on Saturday to take on Ole Miss. The Rebels are currently 11-14 overall, and Florida should be a massive favorite in that game too.