Thousands of blue and yellow Ukrainian flags waved proudly inside the Stuart C Siegel Center during Virginia Commonwealth University’s final home game of the regular season, all in honor of Max Shulga.
The gesture on senior night meant a great deal to Shulga, making him feel at home in Richmond, Virginia despite being far from his native Ukraine, as the country continues to experience unrest three years following Russia’s invasion.
“It’s been all love since I transferred here [from Utah State] two years ago,” Shulga says. “I see it every game, and everywhere out here in Richmond. I really appreciate it and it shows a lot about our fanbase. It’s just one big family, and everybody supports each other.”
With his immediate family members still residing in Kyiv, the entire VCU community has found meaningful ways to show solidarity for Shulga, from chanting “Slava Ukraini,” a salute that translates to “Glory to Ukraine,” to preparing a meal that reminds him of home.
Days before senior night, VCU’s executive chef Jennifer Taylor surprised Shulga by serving him borscht, a signature Ukrainian dish.
“He walked in and he didn’t know it was coming,” VCU’s head coach Ryan Odom said during a recent press conference. “He saw the big pot, and he said, ‘If I grew up in America, there’s not a chance I would be eating this. But I grew up in Kyiv and I love it!’ He said his mom would make it once a week. He sat there and had a cup with his teammates, which is a neat thing.”
On the court, Shulga, a 6ft 5in guard, was named this week as the Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Beyond sports, Shulga represents the resilience of his homeland as uncertainty surrounds Ukraine and US political relations, even after Tuesday’s announcement of a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Russia.
In the same week that Shulga earned A-10 Player of the Week honors in late February, an intense meeting between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump at the White House resonated globally. In the aftermath, the Trump Administration paused military and intelligence support to Ukraine, before it was restored this week. Amid the turmoil, basketball gives Shulga a sense of solace as he finds personal peace while playing the game.
“When I’m on the court, playing in the game, everything kind of just goes away,” Shulga says. “And I’m just in the moment focused on what’s at hand and what I’m doing in that particular game. Basketball helped me to just stay focused. Anything that has been going on, basketball will be my getaway, my outlet.”
Shulga’s love for basketball began as a youth in Kyiv where sports was an important part of family life. Shulga’s father refereed Fiba basketball games, allowing his son to watch and learn from some of the best international players. Shulga’s grandfather also worked as a referee and his uncle played professionally in Europe.
By age 14, Shulga moved to Spain, honing his skills while attending the prestigious Basketball School of Excellence and becoming a standout prospect by his senior season.
He returned home before starting his college career at Utah State to lead Ukraine in the 2019 Fiba European Championships, an experience that gave him immense pride.
“It’s always great to play for the national team, it’s a different feeling to just go out there with your brothers from back home,” Shulga says. “Playing for your country, and just having Ukraine across your chest, is a different feeling. It feels like you’re playing for something way more than basketball. It’s always an honor.”
Shulga returned to play for Ukraine at the 2022 Fiba European Championships under different circumstances. The games occurred just months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, forcing the team to train in Italy. His on-court leadership provided a glimmer of hope as he opened tournament play with a stellar performance, scoring 26 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in an overtime thriller against the Czech Republic.
Although his elite playmaking skills continued to evolve, the war began to take a heavy toll on Shulga during his time at Utah State. His former teammate Sean Bairstow informed Coach Odom, then in charge of Utah State, and his staff of Shulga’s personal struggles, prompting Odom to build a stronger rapport with his emerging star.
“I’m grateful for the experience that he and I have had together,” Odom said at VCU’s press conference. “Max has done really well since that moment, and has weathered some different storms along the way, relative to the war and what’s going on there.”
After his stint at Utah State, Shulga continued to gain momentum, improving in every statistical category after transferring to VCU in 2023 and joining Odom in his move to the East Coast.
VCU began this season with the goal of winning the A-10 Championship and so far, they are right on track. Led by Shulga, who averaged 15.5 points per game and six rebounds, the Rams (25-6) finished the regular season as co-champions along with George Mason. They enter the A-10 Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament as the No 1 seed.
“The mindset is the same as it’s been for every other game throughout the season,” Shulga says about the team’s approach to tournament play. “We just want to stay level-headed through every game and do what we’ve practiced and trust what we’ve practiced … Our goal was to win the A-10 Championship after we fell short last year. We all came back, hungry and just ready to compete for the championship.”
This week, the A-10 Conference Tournament will take place at Capital One Arena in Washington DC, only a few miles away from where political leaders will continue to debate the Russia-Ukraine war and US involvement. It’s expected that VCU fans and supporters of Ukraine will fill the arena and wave Ukrainian flags to encourage Shulga and everyone affected by the war.
While Shulga focuses on leading the Rams to an A-10 Championship and success in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the hope for peace and a return to normalcy in his homeland endures.
“It’s definitely good to see that people care and are going outside to rally [for Ukraine],” Shulga says. “I’m not sure how much of a difference it really makes, but it’s good to see the support. It would be great to make peace as fast as possible.”
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