Keisei Tominaga uncertain on future at Nebraska

Keisei Tominaga has a big decision after Nebraska fell in the Big Ten tournament. He can test the professional basketball waters after a breakout season, or he can return for one last go-round in Lincoln.

As of the postgame press conference, he wasn’t ready to say one way or the other what his plans are.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Tominaga said. “We’ll see. I don’t know yet.”

Tominaga had a big night in Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota, dropping 23 points as Nebraska fell to the Golden Gophers 78-75 in the first round of the Big Ten tournament. On the whole this season, Tominaga averaged 13.1 points per game in his second season with the program after transferring from the junior college ranks.

BTN’s Andy Katz: NIL could play a role in Keisei Tominaga’s decision

Because of the COVID-19 waiver, Tominaga has the option to come back for one more season after bursting onto the scene in 2022-23. During the game against Minnesota, Big Ten Network reporter Andy Katz said there’s a possibility the star guard winds up in a Huskers uniform again — and he added NIL could play a role.

The current NIL policy states student visas don’t allow athletes to work while studying in the United States. However, athletes could look into an extraordinary ability visa, which Northwestern State guard Hansel Enmanuel received earlier this season, On3’s Andy Wittry reported.

Katz hinted there’s optimism that policy could change.

“With Tominaga, the interesting thing is he went through Senior Day, but there’s a good chance he comes back,” Katz said on the Big Ten Network broadcast. “There’s an expectation that the NIL policy will change for foreign nationals to be able to make some money, and that could definitely influence the decision.

“I think both of you guys [announcers Brandon Gaudin and Robbie Hummel] would agree, there may not be any more popular student-athlete right now on that Nebraska campus than Keisei Tominaga. He would be an absolute rock star if he came back next season.”