Princeton’s lightning bug Lee tough for opponents to catch
PRINCETON — Blink and you may miss him. Xaivian Lee is that fast. “It’s part of who I am,” Lee said after he put in 12 points in the Princeton men’s basketball team’s 9154 victory over Monmouth on Saturday night. “I just play to my advantages, knowing where I can get an edge to get by guys and being slippery.”
A freshman from Toronto, Lee is quickly establishing himself as a key rotation piece for the redhot Tigers (8-2), who have ripped off eight straight victories.
“I understand more about basketball,” Lee said of the 10 college games he’s played. “In years previous, I played just to have fun, but now I understand the game at a different level. I understand the details that go into it. There’s more to it than just going and getting a bucket. There are other factors that go into winning. That’s been the biggest adjustment in terms of understanding the game.”
The charismatic Lee — he’s 6-foot-3 and a generous 167-pounds — is quickly becoming a fan favorite thanks to that lightning speed, daring drives to the basket and nifty finishes around the rim.
Coach Mitch Henderson got a kick out of listening to Lee hold court with the media.
“I can’t get him to talk on the court,” Henderson quipped as he turned toward Lee. “Can we do this going forward?”
But his improvement from the first day of preseason to now is one of the reasons for the team’s winning run.
“He’s 160 pounds soaking wet and we asked him to toughen up defensively and he’s been doing all of that, so that’s why he’s playing a lot,” Henderson said. “Then stop looking at the bench and just play. He’s got real gifts. We’ve got high expectations for him, and we told him before don’t be afraid to be one of the better players as a young player.”
You can see the gears turning in Lee’s head as he gets more on-court experience.
Remember that blazing speed? There’s more to it than just that.
“Not just being fast, but changing pace,” Lee said. “It’s something I’ve been working on, not always being at 100.”
He’s also part of a talented freshmen class that includes Caden Pierce, Deven Austin, Jack Scott and Vernon Collins.
“Off the court, we do everything together. We do our schoolwork together, we eat meals together, we got to and from practice together,” Lee said. “We are always hanging out, so we got really close off the court and on the court we have a lot of chemistry.”
Henderson is keenly aware he’s going to need them to continue to grow up, especially with Ivy League play looming at the end of the month.
“I would be doing them a disservice if I changed,” Henderson said. “I think it’s important that we treat them as players. If I told them they were freshmen all the time, they would start to rethink what they are doing. There are guys their age playing in the
NBA and killing it across college basketball. We are 10 games in, so play. You are sophomores now and we have high expectations for what they can (do) and are learning to do.
“By the time you figure out how to win all the time you graduate. Playing young guys is really good for us because it helps build the program for years to come.”
Lee is one of those building
blocks.
“When I’m on the floor (with the veterans), there is a lot of trust between us,” Lee said. “I don’t feel scared when I’m out there with them. In games like (Saturday’s) when I’m out there without them kind of seeing how they run the team when I’m on the bench at the start of the game because and one day I’m going to have run the team, too.”