After the final buzzer of the season blared, VCU graduate forward Kuany Kuany and graduate guard and forward Sean Bairstow said goodbye to their collegiate basketball careers.
Kuany and Bairstow were both transfer students who came to VCU for their graduate year to play under head coach Ryan Odom, who was also a new member of the VCU basketball team.
Kuany played at the University of California, Berkeley where he also obtained his undergraduate degree in sociology, according to Cal Bears.
He chose VCU as his last-stop destination for college basketball because he wanted a school that would fit his game and a school that would win, according to Kuany.
“VCU was a place that I believed was gonna win and it has a track record of winning,” Kuany said. “I wanted to be a part of that.”
Kuany is no stranger to moving to new places and adapting to new environments, he said.
He came to the United States on his own at 15 to pursue his basketball career, according to VCU Athletics.
His journey to America at a young age has helped the process of moving get easier for him, Kuany said.
“I get acclimated to whatever place I go to a lot faster now,” Kuany said. “I know what to expect and I can engage with other people through those past experiences.”
His transfer journey to VCU was difficult at first, and he faced a lot of ups and downs, according to Kuany.
“I came in with a shoulder injury,” Kuany said. “So that set me back a little bit.”
Even though his experience was difficult from a physical standpoint, his teammates welcomed him with open arms and his coaches made sure to help him through his injury process, according to Kuany.
“Once I got up and running, everything was smooth sailing from there,” Kuany said.
His shoulder injury prevented him from working out with the team over the summer of 2023, according to Odom.
“He started a little bit slow from a shooting perspective and then took off,” Odom said. “I’m really proud of his ability to persevere and fight through situations and help the team win.”
Kuany takes pride in his game and the type of teammate he is, according to Odom.
“I think that’s why you see the success that he had on the court this year,” Odom said.
Bairstow, on the other hand, transferred from Utah State, where he was coached by Odom for two years, according to Odom.
“I coached Sean during his junior year and senior year at Utah State,” Odom said. “Then he came to post-grad here with us at VCU.”
