Fred Hoiberg loves passion Keisei Tominaga plays with every day

Nebraska Cornhuskers star guard Keisei Tominaga brought joy and excitement to the Cornhuskers’ offseason when he decided to withdraw from the 2023 NBA Draft and return to the school for one more season. Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg was one of many who were ecstatic to have Tominaga return to the program. And not just for what he provides the Cornhuskers on the offensive side of the floor, but the level of passion he plays with on a daily basis.

“I think you see the impact of Keisei when he sends out a tweet, and you end up with about three and a half million views on it within the first couple of hours. You see the impact, (and) the excitement of our fan base when he did announce that he’s coming back,” said Hoiberg. “The thing I love about this kid is just the joy he plays this game with and the fun that he has. He flipped off a crowd on the road this year. Love that.

“He’s just so infectious, and it’s what this game is all about, when you have a guy out there playing with the type of joy that that he plays with every time he steps on the floor, and it’s not just games. I mean, you see him in a one-on-one session.”

Last season for the Cornhuskers, Tominaga was the second-leading scorer on the team averaging 13.1 points per game. The six-foot-two senior guard from Nagoya, Japan, was one of Nebraska’s consistent offensive threats whenever he was on the floor. Last season Tominaga shot better than 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 86.8 percent from the free throw line.

“I talked to the Pacers guys, in their front office, and they said he did great. They said he competed against bigger, stronger guys and didn’t back down at all. And again, it’s fun when you see a guy that puts as much work as Keisei in and to see it pay off and the benefits that it’s going to have for Keisei long-term in his career.

Tominaga believed it was in his best interest to return to Nebraska for another season. With his tenacity and style of play, he would have likely been able to, at the very least, earn an invite to an NBA franchise’s summer league team. Instead, he returns to Lincoln, NE, with Hoiberg and a goal of using that tenacity to lead the Cornhuskers on a successful campaign in the 2023-2024 season.