Keisei Tominaga breaks down why he returned to Nebraska for 2023-24 season

Nebraska basketball enjoyed one of its more fun seasons in recent memory in 2023 and in large part thanks to Japanese spark-plug Keisei Tominaga, who emerged to carry the load offensively in the second half of the season after starting the year as a dynamite scorer off the bench. He was even the team’s lead scorer in Big Ten play, averaging 14.1 points per game while transitioning to a full-time starter while also putting up some of the most efficient shooting numbers of any guard in the whole conference.

Seriously, at 62.4% from two-point range and over 40% from three, he was in the top echelon of Big Ten guards in terms of scoring volume and efficiency. Such a scorching spring semester on the hardwood meant some looks from the professional ranks for Tominaga, but he ultimately decided to return to Lincoln for a third year and his fifth overall in college.

A few weeks after his announcement to return, Tominaga and head Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg answered some questions as the calendar turns completely towards the 2024 season. For Keisei, not a native english speaker, the question was simple: why did he choose to come back?

“So I was thinking like that was the best,” he said of the 2023 season. “Like, this is the place to be, like I can improve the most, you know. And this is a place I can improve at, so that’s the most (important) reason I think I decided to come back here and stuff.”

When asked what specifically he wants to improve, Tominaga said he’s trying to add some muscle.

“Of course, I gotta get bigger, you know, stronger. But on the different stuff, so yeah, those type of things. Yeah, I have been working on getting myself to do weights. Yeah, it’s been great.”

Lastly, Tominaga addressed the newcomers he’ll be playing with. “That’s yeah, for sure, yeah, I’m so excited about it, to play with them,” he said when asked about the new roster compared to last year.

For Keisei Tominaga, 2023-24 offers a chance for him to burst into complete stardom. Down the stretch of the ’23 season, he sort of became that. But with several of the Huskers’ other top scorers departing, there’s an avenue for Tominaga to slide in as the leader and thrive, perhaps even earning All-Big Ten honors along the way. Keep an eye out on this sharpshooter, B10 fans.