WATCH: Nebraska's Keisei Tominaga shows off impressive shooting skills during College Basketball 3-point contest
It hasn't been a jolly year for Nebraska or fans of its men's basketball program. But as the world stays glued to the 2024 March Madness, the Cornhuskers have found a unique reason to celebrate.
Thanks to guard Keisei Tominaga, Nebraska was in the thick of things in the Hanes Originals Soft Touch College Men’s 3-Point Championship on Thursday night. During the first-round contest at Phoenix Convention Center, Tominaga was sensational.
Going against USC's Boogie Ellis in the first round, he started strong, with 10 points in the first two racks, before adding another nine over the next two.
His final rack is where he cemented the performance into all-time great territory. After knocking down the first four, Keisei Tominaga turned to show-boating, pausing with a dribble.
Once he had settled down, with barely a second left on the clock, Tominaga took the shot and turned around in typical Stephen Curry fashion, whose No. 30 Tominaga sports on his jersey.
The final score read 25-17 as Nebraska's Japanese sharpshooting superstar moved on to the next round.
Keisei Tominaga carries momentum into Round Two
The final round saw an equally impressive outing for the Cornhuskers star. Going up against Ohio State’s Jamison Battle, who set a score of 17, Keisei Tominaga started strong, with nine points through two racks. His third rack, from the top of the key, was suspect as he finished with 12.
The penultimate rack is where the 23-year-old put any doubts to rest, knocking down three balls for four points, one shy of the clincher. After knocking down two of his first four in the final rack, Tominaga tried to mimic his first-round flamboyance, this time falling short of scoring.
However, the contest was already over. Keisei Tominaga was the winner.
Light at the end of the road for Nebraska
It wasn't the best season for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, who finished the year third in the Big Ten with a 23-11 record, but it was a big step up from last season's 16-16 finish for an eleventh place in the conference.
Going undefeated at home, Nebraska had shown some signs of promise before the Big Ten Tournament began, winning seven of its previous eight regular season games. A semifinal loss to Illinois ended the Cornhuskers' tournament hopes, but it secured them a spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket.
With their eighth selection to March Madness in tournament history, Nebraska finished with the same result as the previous seven occasions, losing in the Round of 64 to bring its NCAA Tournament record to 0-8.