Max Shulga just about had his bags packed.
After averaging 14 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists en route to first-team all-Atlantic 10 honors in his first year at VCU after transferring from Utah State, the senior guard tested the NBA draft waters and transfer portal this offseason.
Shulga went through one workout with the San Antonio Spurs and got feedback from scouts on his professional prospects.
Then, it seemed Shulga was off to Villanova after committing to the Wildcats in early May before announcing in late May that he would return to VCU for his final year of eligibility.
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VCU guard Max Shulga attempts to shoot a basket while Norfolk State guard Jaylani Darden tries to block at the Siegel Center on December 1, 2023, in Richmond, Va. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Initially, Shulga wanted to step up in conference level and prove himself with a blue-blood program. But when it came down to it, something just didn’t feel right.
“When it came down to packing my bags, leaving, I thought about it twice,” Shulga said on Wednesday at VCU’s basketball development center amid summer practices.
“I thought ‘This doesn’t feel right for some reason.’ I want to come back and finish it up with the guys I started with, the guys that stayed on the team from last year, because we have a lot of returners, some unfinished business. It just feels right to stay here and finish it up.”
Shulga’s relationship with VCU second-year coach Ryan Odom, whom he followed to Broad Street from Logan, Utah, was a major factor in his decision to return.
“Coach Odom, he’s more than a coach at this point to me, it’s past basketball, he looks out for me outside of the court. This is family,” Shulga said, looking around at his teammates preparing to begin practice, under a large sign on the wall of the facility’s east end reading, “The work we do in the dark will reveal itself in the light.”
Chemistry with fellow veteran guards Zeb Jackson and Joe Bamisile also played a role.
Shulga, Jackson and Bamisile join junior forward Christian Fermin and sophomore wings Fats Billups (Varina High) and Michael Belle to form the nucleus of returners upon which Odom’s second roster is based.
“The more games you play the more you learn about each other’s games, how to play off each other, what are our spots, how we like to catch the ball and drive,” Shulga said.
“It’s very exciting to go into another year with them knowing how well we started playing toward the end of last year, how well we started picking up each other’s games.”
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VCU guard Max Shulga fights for a layup between McNeese State’s Christian Shumate, left, and DJ Richards Jr. during the season opener at the Siegel Center on Nov. 6.
Shulga himself is not practicing yet after undergoing offseason surgery about a month ago to repair a sports hernia that dates to last summer.
He suffered the injury around the time of VCU’s summer trip to Greece last July and played through it the entire 2023-24 season.
“Max is still recovering and recovering on time from the surgery that he had, and doing really well,” Odom said.
Shulga hopes to be back on the court, going full-contact and full-speed, in roughly three weeks. His main points of emphasis this offseason are improving his conditioning, scoring consistency, offensive aggression and bringing maximum effort on the defensive end every time down the court.
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VCU’s Max Shulga, left, and Sean Bairstow congratulate one another along with Zeb Jackson, center, during the Rams’ 66-60 win over Saint Joseph’s in the Atlantic 10 semifinals. Shulga scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-11 shooting, and Bairstow posted 13 points and reached 1,000 career points. Jackson contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. VCU on Sunday will be going after its second consecutive Atlantic 10 tournament championship.
Shulga’s 22nd birthday was Tuesday, and he said with a smile that he got to enjoy the occasion. In his second year living in Richmond, he’s much more settled and comfortable than he was this time last summer.
“I’ve definitely settled down and it feels normal, last year everything was new, the training facility, it was still weird being three years at a different spot,” he said.
“But I’ve definitely settled in now, this feels like home.”
In addition to the six returners, VCU’s current roster consists of three incoming freshmen — guards Terrence Hill and Brandon Jennings (St. Christopher’s), plus forward Luke Bamgboye — and two transfers, guard Phillip Russell (UT Arlington) and forward Jack Clark (Clemson).
VCU Athletics confirmed on Thursday that rising sophomore forward Obinnaya Okafor (Bethel High, Hampton), a walk-on who was afforded a scholarship last season before suffering an ACL injury that took him out of competition, is currently a walk-on for the 2024-25 season.
But that could change should VCU not fill both of its two remaining scholarship spots. Odom said his staff is “talking to some people,” exploring options for whom it might still add in the portal and high school recruiting scene.
Atlantic 10 releases schedule pairings
The Atlantic 10 on Wednesday released its schedule pairings for the 2024-25 men’s basketball season.
VCU will play a home-and-home series with crosstown rival Richmond, in addition to fellow conference heavyweight Dayton, plus Saint Louis and St. Bonaventure.
The Rams will host but not travel to Fordham, La Salle, George Mason, Massachusetts and Davidson, while playing only road contests at Duquesne, Rhode Island, George Washington, Loyola Chicago and Saint Joseph’s. Dates and times for all A-10 contests will be released at a later date.
Images: Rhode Island vs. VCU Basketball
Images from VCU's win over Rhode Island at the Siegel Center Feb. 29.