RICHMOND, Va. – On Friday night against Maryland-Eastern Shore, VCU Men's Basketball got the perfect holiday gift with the debut of graduate guard/forward Sean Bairstow. For Head Coach Ryan Odom, it meant he finally had a full rotation to work with.
 
It only took 12 games.
 
"For Sean to do what he did today in his first game back I thought was good," said Odom. "And having Sean and Joe [Bamisile] back out there tonight and together for the first time on the floor was a positive thing for our team moving forward."
 
Playing in his first game since he suited up in Utah State's first round NCAA Tournament game last March, Bairstow's opening basket, a jumper in the paint to open the second half, was a welcome sight for a VCU team that has faced its share of adversity and uncertainty this season.
 
"I was excited to get out there," said Bairstow. "I was a bit nervous but it was good to get on the court. As long as my first shot was not an airball, which it wasn't, then I knew I'd feel good to be back out there."
 
Bairstow would go on to find his shot in the second half of Friday's win, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds and two assists on 4-of-9 shooting from the field.
 
VCU's 75-51 win over UMES on Friday night was also a chance for Odom and his staff to finally play and tinker with the VCU lineup they thought they were going to have in November.
 
"We have a lot of guys who are good players, and adding Joe and Sean does force us to adjust the lineups," said Odom. "But the message is that we are stronger together and the team has really bought into that."
 
"Our job is to make sure these guys are playing hard for each other, and while the rotations are not going to be set right away. I have full confidence in our guys that they will come together now that we have all the pieces."
 
Adversity reared its head on Oct. 18 when Bairstow, a Preseason Third Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection, suffered a Jones fracture in his right foot during practice. With eight new players and an entirely new staff, the familiarity of Bairstow and senior guard Max Shulga, who played the past two seasons with Odom at Utah State, was expected to be an early asset for the Black and Gold.
 
Both players started all 35 games for Odom in 2022-23, with Bairstow averaging 10.3 points for the Aggies, while Shulga provided 11.9 points.
"It is great to have an experienced player like Sean on the court," said Shulga. "He is a great all-around player who does everything for us and it helps keep our rotation fresh and it allows everyone to keep up their energy through the game. And we have missed that for the past 11 games."
 
Bairstow's injury wasn't the only wrinkle in VCU's plans. The uncertainty around Joe Bamisile's NCAA waiver hung around for 10 games. Bamisile finally made his VCU debut on Dec. 16 against Temple.
 
In the interim, it was next Ram up on Broad Street. The saying goes that diamonds are made under pressure, and VCU's short rotation in the early season provided plenty of growth opportunities for some of the Rams' younger players.
 
In addition to Shulga, who is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game, senior guard Zeb Jackson is posting career-best averages of 14.2 points and 4.3 assists per game.
 
Forwards Michael Belle (freshman) and Christian Fermin (sophomore) have each played big roles, taking big steps forward that they might not have been anticipating entering the season, each averaging 5.6 points per game, while making 12 starts.
 
Graduate forward Kuany Kuany found his shot from beyond the arc of late. The Melbourne, Australia native is averaging 13.0 points, while shooting 58 percent (7-of-12) in the past three games. Redshirt sophomore Jason Nelson, sophomore forward Tobi Lawal and redshirt freshman Fats Billups III each have played massive roles in helping the Rams this season.
 
"The team really played in some big spots before we got Joe and Sean back and faced real adversity. Some we fell short and some we had the answer to," said Odom. Our guys had to step up in big moments to make plays against good teams, and they did at times over that opening stretch of 10 games.
 
"And I don't think there is any substitute for the experience you can get in those big games. All of the team have done well and been huge for us. Players like Michael Belle, who was phenomenal for us down in Florida.
 
"The team has been coachable and honest with themselves, looking each other in the mirror when they make mistakes and I really like that about this team. And if you take that mindset each and every day you will get better."
 
While Bamisile's and Bairstow's absences have tested the Rams' depth and resolve, Friday's commanding win provided a hint at what a full strength VCU squad could be. For the first time, Odom was able to deploy all his weapons. Odom subbed liberally Friday, mixing and matching lineups in search of his optimal rotation.