VCU star Max Shulga proud to represent Ukraine at NCAA Tournament

DENVER — Much has changed for Max Shulga since he last faced BYU.

Back in December 2021, Shulga was a sophomore at Utah State, playing four minutes in an 82-71 loss to the Cougars at the Marriott Center.

He eventually blossomed into a key contributor for the Aggies, helping lead the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2023.

Special Collector's Issue: "1984: The Year BYU was Second to None" Get an inclusive look inside BYU Football's 1984 National Championship season. Buy Now

When his coach, Ryan Odom, took over at VCU, Shulga followed him east to Richmond. Now donning the black and gold, the do-it-all guard has emerged as a legitimate star for the Rams, earning two First Team All-Atlantic 10 selections along with conference player of the year honors this year, all culminating with another showdown with No. 6 seed BYU in the NCAA Tournament’s first round Thursday in Denver.

Shulga’s basketball life has been pretty good. His life off the court, however, is a different story.

Shulga hails from Kiev, Ukraine, having come to the United States to play college basketball at Utah State. Toward the end of his sophomore campaign in Logan, Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, dramatically escalating the longstanding Russo-Ukrainian War that continues to rage on today.

“He’s dealt with a lot over the course of the last four years,” Odom told reporters Wednesday in Denver prior to VCU’s open practice period. “I can remember when the war first started and we were at Utah State, one of his teammates Sean Bairstow called me. Obviously we were all talking to Max, but he was going through it at that time, staying up all hours of the night, really stressed with what was going on. Sean was his best friend there, (and he said) ‘You just need to make sure you definitely check on him, even more than you are.’”

“It’s obviously nerve-wracking when you see stuff on the news,” Shulga told the Deseret News in March 2022, shortly after the invasion began. “Not everything is real — some stuff is fake — but still until your people text you back that everything’s OK, you’re still kind of nervous about it.”

Shulga’s family still resides in Ukraine, and he talks to his parents and sister there “pretty much every day.” The Logan community rallied around him, with fans at the Spectrum sporting Ukrainian flags and other various signs — gestures that Shulga said he greatly appreciated. As the conflict has continued to rage on, such support for Shulga has continued to grow at VCU.

Utah State guard Max Shulga drapes the Ukrainian flag around his shoulders during player introductions prior to a game against Colorado State in 2022. | Jeff Hunter

“The community there in Logan was tremendous with (Shulga), the students and folks there did a great job of looking after him, being there for him. His teammates certainly did, and his coaches,” Odom said. “VCU has certainly taken it to another level, as well. He’s one of their own now, and he’s really proud that he’s finished it out here at VCU.

“He keeps tabs on what’s going on (in Ukraine), but he understands that he’s not in control over anything. None of us are. We just have to react and deal with what’s going on. He’s done a magnificent job of balancing that along with school and high-level basketball. It’s a lot to deal with, and he’s done a fabulous job.”

Shulga averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Rams this season, adding 1.8 steals and shooting 38.6% from 3-point range. In the Atlantic 10 championship game this past Sunday — with a tournament berth on the line — Shulga scored a game-high 18 points with four boards and three assists to help push VCU past rival George Mason.

1 of 4 From left, Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard Joe Bamisile, guard Max Shulga, forward Jack Clark and guard Zeb Jackson field questions from reporters during a press conference held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News 2 of 4 Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard Zeb Jackson speaks during a press conference held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News 3 of 4 Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard Max Shulga speaks during a press conference held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News 4 of 4 Virginia Commonwealth Rams head coach Ryan Odom speaks during a press conference held at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo., on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News

“They’ve got a guy that they can trust in Shulga that can make plays when they need them and just kind of be the quarterback of their team,” BYU coach Kevin Young said. “He’s unique because of his size. He’s able to get to his spots, he never really gets sped up. So I’ve been impressed with him on the tape.”

Shulga’s rise to stardom has been especially meaningful for Odom, who’s now in his final days of coaching the senior Shulga across four years and two schools.

“It’s been fun to spend four years with Max Shulga and watch his development,” Odom said. “His first year (at Utah State) when I was there, I was on him all the time. He didn’t get in the game. He had to work his way into a game. By the end of that year we were injured and he started a game because we were injured — not necessarily because he had earned it at that point — and played really well. So he earned a little bit more time down the stretch of that season.

“Then he was a starter the next year on an NCAA Tournament team. Then he’s First Team (All-Atlantic 10). Now he’s player of the year in the A-10. That’s what it’s all about to me, is helping kids grow and develop and not always telling them everything they want to hear; telling them what they need to hear and helping them get better. I’m really thankful specifically with him for that relationship and excited for the ending here with him.”

While his primary focus is to try and upset the Cougars on Thursday, Shulga recognizes the opportunity he has to represent his country on one of the most prominent stages in sports, and he’s not taking it lightly.

“It means a lot,” Shulga said. “There’s not many people from Ukraine or players from Ukraine that really get to play in March Madness like this ... if I can serve as an inspiration to young kids back home in Ukraine, that’s something that I’m definitely willing to do and put on for my country.”

Click here to read article