Keisei Tominaga honored as Admiral in Nebraska Navy
Former Nebraska star Keisei Tominaga was honored Monday with the title of Admiral in the Nebraska Navy by Governor Jim Pillen. Tominaga met with Pillen to accept an official certificate granting him the title as the pair posed for a photo together on X.
The honor is tongue-in-cheek, as Nebraska is the only triple-landlocked state does not have a Navy. It has been a tradition in the state since 1930 meant to honor those who have “contributed in some way to the state, promote the Good Life in Nebraska, and warrant recognition as determined by the Governor.”
Tominaga played the past three seasons in Lincoln after playing two seasons of JUCO ball at Ranger College (TX) to start his career. He left ranked seventh in program history with 178 career 3-pointers, and his 76 triples made this past season rank eighth in single-season history.
A native of Japan, Tominaga earned the nickname “The Japanese Steph Curry” for his sharpshooting abilities. He shot 37.6% from deep in his three seasons with the Cornhuskers, averaging 11.4 points per game. Tominaga earned second team All-Big Ten honors from the league’s coaches this past season.
“Like other Husker fans, I’m incredibly proud of Keisei Tominaga’s amazing contributions to Nebraska,” Pillen wrote in his social media post. “I was honored to make him an Admiral in our Nebraska Navy and appoint him our goodwill Ambassador to Japan.”
As an Admiral of the Nebraska Navy, Tominaga will have the option of joining the Nebraska Admirals Association, a nonprofit organization.
Nebraska reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 10 years this past season during Tominaga’s final year of college eligibility. Unfortunately, the Cornhuskers bowed out in the first round to Texas A&M. He will now hope to hear his name called in the 2024 NBA Draft when it begins on June 27.
Tominaga is currently projected to either go late in the second round or be undrafted. However, he’ll have all the opportunity to prove himself in pre-draft workouts.
Regardless of what happens in the NBA, Tominaga has a bright future ahead of him. He is prepared to represent Japan in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Although his time in Nebraska has come to an end, it will always be a second home to him, and the honor he received Monday is the prime example of that.