Xaivian Lee (born March 12, 2004) is a Canadian-American college basketball player for the Princeton Tigers of the Ivy League.
 Lee with Princeton in 2023 | |
| No. 4 – Princeton Tigers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | Ivy League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | March 12, 2004 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Crescent School (Toronto, Ontario) Perkiomen (Pennsburg, Pennsylvania) |
| College | Princeton (2022–present) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career
editLee played both baseball and basketball in his youth and idolized Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors.[1] When he was 13, he traveled to Buffalo, New York, to watch Princeton play Notre Dame in the 2017 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. In a 2023 interview with Sportsnet, his mother described the experience as crucial in his decision to pursue basketball: "What [could] be a possibility for him in the future became more tangible, being there, seeing that in person. I think it's a bit lovely how it came full circle."[1]
Lee initially attended Crescent School in Toronto, where he played basketball and was one of the best players in the CISAA.[1] He later attended Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.[2] Lee also played for CIA Bounce AAU on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit.[1]
The father of one of Lee's AAU teammates, former basketball player Cordell Llewellyn, contacted the recruiting coordinator and associate head coach at Princeton, Brett MacConnell, recommending that he take a look at Lee.[1] The Princeton staff later had the chance to see him play during a trip he made to the United States with his high school and AAU teams in between his junior and senior seasons.[1] "I remember texting Brett after the game and I was like, 'Oh my God. We need him right now,'" said Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson. "He had all the stuff — everything you see now was there: the way he would flow through the game and his ability to make things look simple and easy. The passing, the shooting, it was all there."[1]
College career
editAs a freshman during the 2022–23 season, Lee made an immediate impact as a rotation player off the bench.[3][4] In his freshman season, he appeared in 32 games averaging 4.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists, helping Princeton reach the Sweet Sixteen.[1][5][6] He began the following season averaging 19.5 points per game, leading Princeton to a 9–1 record through their first ten games, the school's best start in a century.[7] In the conference opener against Harvard, he scored a career-high 33 points, in addition to eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, being named conference player of the week for his performance.[8] On April 5, 2024, Lee declared for the 2024 NBA draft, while retaining his college eligibility.[9][10]
National team career
editLee participated in the 2023 FIBA U-19 World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, representing the Canada men's national under-19 basketball team. He averaged a team-high 14.1 points to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, helping lead Canada to a seventh-place finish.[11][12]
Career statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Princeton | 32 | 0 | 13.4 | .376 | .232 | .804 | 1.8 | .9 | .5 | .1 | 4.8 |
| 2023–24 | Princeton | 29 | 29 | 31.2 | .451 | .338 | .798 | 5.7 | 3.7 | 1.0 | .5 | 17.1 |
Personal life
editLee was born in Toronto, and he is a dual citizen of the U.S. and Canada. He is of South Korean descent.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h Weisfeld, Oren (December 15, 2023). "How Xaivian Lee overcame doubters to become a star on the court for Princeton". Sportsnet. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ "The Tigers Next Star Point Guard: Xaivian Lee". Whoa! Sports World. 2022-01-22. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "With Freshman Guard Lee Making Big Impact, PU Men's Hoops Routs Monmouth, Moves to 8-2".
- ^ "Princeton men's basketball's lightning bug Xaivian Lee tough for opponents to catch". Trentonian. 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "First-year guard Xaivian Lee participates in Canada Basketball Assessment camp". The Princetonian. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Nothing will faze Princeton men's basketball's Xaivian Lee". Trentonian. 2023-10-30. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Elsey, Jacob (2023-12-12). "CBB's Shiftiest Player Is An Ivy League Economics Student That Has Princeton Off To Its Best Start In 100 Years". BroBible. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Lee shines once again as the men's basketball team opens Ivy League play with a dominant victory against the Crimson". The Princetonian. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Princeton guard Xaivian Lee to declare for 2024 NBA draft". ESPN.com. April 5, 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ "Sophomore standout Xaivian Lee declares for NBA draft, maintaining college eligibility". The Princetonian. Retrieved 2024-04-09.
- ^ TSN, Jeremy Visser (2024-01-19). "Canadian Xaivian Lee playing with joy at Princeton". TSN. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ Zielonka, Adam (2023-11-26). "Xaivian Lee has the makings of the next great Princeton guard". Guarden State. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "The phenomenon: Princeton's Xaivian Lee is taking college basketball by storm". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2024-02-03.