Keisei Tominaga reacts to Nebraska's March Madness heartbreak: Japanese star ends career with first-round loss

Kate Yanchulis

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Keisei Tominaga reacts to Nebraska's March Madness heartbreak: Japanese star ends career with first-round loss image

Keisei Tominaga's Nebraska career ended in defeat. But the Japanese star remains a legend in the hearts of Cornhuskers fans.

The 23-year-old point guard scored 21 points in Friday's first-round game, but No. 8 seed Nebraska lost to No. 9 seed Texas A&M, 98-83, to end their season and Tominaga's collegiate career.

Dubbed the "Japanese Steph Curry," Tominaga stole hearts with his passionate play and his shooting abilities for the Cornhuskers. He went 5-for-11 from 3-point range Friday, and he finished his three seasons at Nebraska with 37.2% shooting from behind the arc.

Tominaga averaged a career-best 14.9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists this season. After transferring in 2021 from Ranger College in Texas, which competes in the NJCAA, he scored 1,064 points with the Cornhuskers and helped them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade.

MORE: NBA Draft scouting report on Keisei Tominaga

While that appearance ended in a first-round defeat, leaving Nebraska as the only Power 5 men's basketball program without a March Madness win, Tominaga's emotional reaction to the loss served as a moving tribute to his impact on the Cornhuskers — and their impact on him.

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Keisei Tominaga reacts to Nebraska's NCAA Tournament loss

As the seconds ticked down and then the buzzer sounded, ending Nebraska's season, Tominaga shed tears on the sideline at FedExForum in Memphis.

"It is sad to lose. But it's sad that I can't play for coach Hoiberg anymore and play with my teammates anymore," he said at the postgame press conference.

Before the game, Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg spoke of Tominaga's growth during his time in Lincoln, which Tominaga has called his "second home."

“Keisei, you look at him right now – he obviously had an adjustment period when he first got to Nebraska," Hoiberg said. "There were some games that he really struggled with the physicality. And that’s where I give him so much credit, is how he has gained his strength that allowed him to bang against bigger, stronger opponents, and the ability to get his shot off when he’s being face-guarded out there against a lot of teams.

"It’s been remarkable to see the progress that Keisei has made.”

Kate Yanchulis

Kate Yanchulis Photo

Kate Yanchulis is a senior editor at The Sporting News. A graduate of the University of Maryland, she has worked for the Daily Press (Newport News, Va.), the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated and Just Women's Sports, covering everything from high school state championships to the Women's World Cup. She lives in her native D.C. area, where she maintains a deep knowledge of her home teams' many foibles.