Making one of the biggest jumps by a Canadian in recent NCAA history from relatively unknown to potential NBA prospect, Xaivian Lee continues to amaze.
The Toronto native’s latest feat? Delivering Princeton’s first-ever triple-double in program history during Tuesday night’s 77-69 victory at Saint Joseph’s Hagan Arena.
Lee, who has flirted with triple-doubles before, finally broke through with a historic 18-point performance, adding career-highs of 13 rebounds and 10 assists. By the first media timeout, the six-foot-four, 180-pound junior guard had already tallied four rebounds and three assists, setting the tone for his remarkable night.
St. Joe’s coach Billy Lange, who spent six years as an assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers before taking the job on Hawk Hill in 2019, offered high praise for Lee’s performance: “He’s just unique. There’s no one else really (like him) in college basketball,” Lange said. “He’s got like the moxie of Devin Booker. There just aren’t many guys who I’ve gone against who are like him.”
Lee, humbled by the comparison to the Phoenix Suns star, responded: “I love Devin Booker’s game, so that’s definitely cool. They are very well coached and he’s a good coach so that means a lot coming from him. I’ve never got that one before. That’s a good comparison.”
The historic night unfolded like a well-scripted drama. After securing the double-double early in the second half with points and rebounds, Lee found himself two assists shy of history as the clock ticked under three minutes.
The Tigers, who lost to Saint Joseph’s 74-70 in the same building last season despite controlling most of the game, were determined not to let history repeat itself. Lee took control, orchestrating the offence with poise and precision to seal both the team’s victory and his place in the record books.
First, he demonstrated his clutch gene, draining a crucial three-pointer over the six-foot-nine Rasheer Fleming to push Princeton ahead 66-62. He followed that with a spectacular left-handed scoop shot over Derek Simpson’s tight defense.
Then came the moment of truth. Lee found Philip Byriel for his sixth three-pointer of the night, recording assist number nine. With 1:16 remaining, history beckoned. Lee delivered a perfectly timed feed to Caden Pierce for an and-one opportunity, cementing his place in both Princeton and Canadian basketball lore.
“It feels great,” Lee said of his historic achievement. “The stats might look crazy in terms of assists, but that’s because Phil was hitting a lot of shots. I wanted to knock that off because I had come close a couple of times. It was more just playing good basketball together.”
Fourth Canadian triple-double against DI opponent in NCAA history
The Toronto guard’s achievement makes him just the third Canadian player to record a triple-double at the Division I level, with his performance marking the fourth such occurrence in NCAA history.
R.J. Barrett was the previous Canadian to accomplish this feat, delivering a dominant performance for Duke in February 2019 against NC State. Barrett’s historic night featured 23 points on 41.7% shooting, along with 11 rebounds and 10 assists, as he led the Blue Devils to victory.
Before Barrett, Syracuse’s Leo Rautins was the pioneer, recording an unprecedented three triple-doubles in the early 1980s. His first came in March 1982 during the NIT tournament against St. Peter’s.
Rautins followed that with two more in his 1982-83 season – first against Georgetown in January 1983, and then his memorable 13-point, 13-assist, 11-rebound masterclass against Boston College in February 1983.
Remarkably, Rautins achieved his second and third triple-doubles within a 40-day span, setting a standard that would stand for over three decades.
Lee’s statistical masterpiece carried additional weight as it marked Princeton’s first triple-double in program history – a remarkable fact considering the institution’s rich basketball tradition dating back to the early 20th century.
Adding to the achievement’s significance, Lee became the first of these Toronto-bred talents to record the feat in a road game, accomplishing it in the hostile environment of Hagan Arena.
Indeed, all three Canadians who have achieved this rare milestone – Lee, Barrett, and Rautins – hail from the Greater Toronto Area, further cementing the city’s reputation as a basketball talent factory.
Even Princeton legend Bill Bradley, who went on to NBA and political fame, never recorded a triple-double, though it’s worth noting assists weren’t officially tracked by the NCAA until the 1974-75 season.
The historic performance wasn’t just about the numbers. Lee’s command of the game was evident in every facet, from his court vision to his unexpected dominance on the glass despite being a guard. He even added two steals to his stat line while shooting an efficient 7-of-14 from the field, including that crucial three-pointer late in the game.
As Princeton continues its promising 7-3 season, Lee’s triple-double serves as both a milestone moment and a reminder of Canada’s growing influence on NCAA basketball. With a record 170 Canadians currently playing in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, the northern pipeline continues to strengthen.
Among this talented contingent, Lee stands alone as the only Canadian to rank in the top ten in points, rebounds, and assists in the 2024-25 Canadian NCAA stats tracker.
Lee, who is already on NBA scouts’ radar, is averaging 15.1 points, 5.5 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 steals for the Tigers. His ability to elevate his performance in a pivotal game against a strong opponent underscores his potential to make waves at the next level.
For a program that has produced numerous NBA players and maintained a strong tradition of excellence, having its first triple-double authored by a Canadian player speaks volumes about the evolution of both Princeton basketball and the Canadian pipeline to Division I excellence.
