Xaivian Lee is a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard at Princeton from Toronto who did his prep years at the Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pa. Lee recently sat down with Ivy Hoops Online for an interview at Jadwin Gym:
Ivy Hoops Online: Why Princeton?
Xaivian Lee: I did my prep years at Perkiomen and when I visited Princeton, I knew it was right and natural.
IHO: What were the biggest challenges you faced in your freshman year of college basketball?
XL: The physicality of the game. You can’t take plays off. It was obvious that it was important to get stronger.
IHO: Talk about the Ivy and your rivalry with Yale.
XL: Haven’t seen much of the Ivy this year. Yale has most of their guys back. We are familiar with their team. We are a very different team. [Junior guard Bez] Mbeng is a great defender. He is very quick.
IHO: What is your favorite non-Jadwin Ivy gym?
XL: Penn in The Palestra. Loved the environment my first time there. Lights are very bright. Also, Columbia, which will be a good spot for the Ivy tourney.
IHO: Do you think that the Ivy should have a chance to be a two-bid League?
XL: I don’t know much about how that works. We are doing everything we can to win the Ivy tourney. Hopefully that will happen.
IHO: Thoughts about your out-of-conference schedule?
XL: I know that we try to play everyone and no one, especially high majors, wants to play us.
IHO: Well, Rutgers did play you. [Editor’s note: Princeton opened this season with a win at Rutgers.] What was that like?
XL: Playing Rutgers was cool. I loved playing in Trenton. I was nervous going into the game, but excited.