Patience paid off as Xaivian Lee, and Boogie Fland eventually found consistency for Florida.
Florida basketball shoot around before March Madness matchup with Prairie View A&M
Florida basketball forward Thomas Haugh sinks a 3-pointer during UF’s open shootaround before its NCAA Tournament game on Friday, March 20 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa.
TAMPA – It wasn’t that long ago that Xaivian Lee couldn’t eat, and he couldn’t sleep.
Florida basketball’s guard had gotten off to an ugly start, and the criticism from social media had begun to become overwhelming.
“It definitely wasn’t fun,” Lee told The Gainesville Sun. “Like, there was a lot of narratives or something about us in the beginning. Obviously, we weren’t performing how we wanted to, but I don’t think any of that other stuff helped. I do think it’s all part of the journey.”
It was much of the same for fellow transfer guard Boogie Fland, who is also Lee’s roommate on the road.
“We knew people were going to have something to say, especially when you’re not playing good,” Fland said. “We just had to get through that hump.”
And so after Florida’s win against Miami, Lee decided to delete his social media presence. That night, Lee had only five points and three turnovers despite UF pulling out a win.
“Not in a bad way, but (social media) was just taking too much (time),” Lee said. “I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I just had to go back and enjoy life and stuff.”
Fland followed his teammate’s action and also opted to go temporarily off the grid.
“I did it too,” Fland said. “Sometimes you need to look at yourself in the mirror and see what really matters.
“I feel like it was a good reset. Just get your mind right.”
Ironically, Florida assistant coach Taurean Green had pushed for the duo to get off the internet.
“I begged them to (get off), especially since it’s a different era,” Green said. “When I played, social media wasn’t as big. Now with social media, there’s a lot of chatter going on.
“You have to stay off social media a bit just to stay focused and not listen to naysayers… It’s crazy. It’s a different era. Everything is being recorded.”
While much of the credit belongs to Lee and Fland for handling the criticism correctly, Green said the patience and belief in the duo was critical on the coaching staff’s part.
“I think it was a matter of us understanding that it’s an adjustment period, not saying it’s not frustrating because we want to win,” Green said. “They showed flashes of their game. It just wasn’t as consistent. I think now they are playing very good, consistent basketball.”
The process worked, as the duo began to play much better, with Florida’s overall 3-point shooting drastically improving. But also, the pair of guards grew closer off the court.
“You have to be grateful for the highs and the lows,” Lee said. “Me and Boogie got a lot closer over that stretch. Just living together on the road and talking hoops, life, and whatever. I think that developed our relationship. And not just us, but as a full team. I think we all got a lot closer because of that.”
For Fland, the bond he developed with Lee during the early-season criticism paid off on the court.
“We always have that conversation after games about things we can do better and stuff like that,” Fland said. “We definitely got tighter, just to see (Lee) grow when everybody had their doubts about him.
“We knew at some point it was going to click. When it clicked, we knew everybody was going to be on our side again.”
Reach Florida Gators writer Andrew Abadie at [email protected] or on X (formerly Twitter) at @AndrewAbadie. You can also find him on Facebook at Andrew Abadie Sports Reporter or on Instagram @andrewabadie_sports.
