As a 6’2 shooting guard with a lightning-quick first step, dynamic passing skills, and the ability to make contested shots over taller defenders, Keisei Tominaga, a rising junior at the University of Nebraska, will be a key contributor for host nation Japan, looking to find success in this summer’s FIBA World Cup.

Stats & Facts

• In the Big 12, Tominaga averaged a team-high 14.2 points/game, ranked seventh in FG% (51%), and fifth in 3PM/game (2.4) 
• He was one of only six NCAA DI players to average double figures in scoring while shooting 40% from behind the arc and 85% from the free-throw line
• For the Japanese national team, Tominaga ranked second in points 15.2, shooting 44% during last year’s FIBA Asia Cup

NBA Comparison

When considering Tominaga’s style of play, leveraging his quickness and creativity to put up big numbers offensively, he has earned a dubious nickname, the “Japanese Steph Curry”; and although there are elements of Tominaga’s game that are similar, a more accurate (and fair) comparison is Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Scoring Styles

• Maxey, who helps set the tone each game for the 76ers as the starting shooting guard, can score from anywhere on the court.
  – Last season, he shot 62% at the rim, 46% from 10 to <16 ft, 37% from 16 ft to <3-pt, and 42% from beyond the arc
• For the Cornhuskers, Tominaga came off the bench for more than half of their games last season, but finished as the leading scorer for 31% of them – he’s a bucket

World Cup

On a Japanese team that will feature just one NBA player in Yuta Watanabe (Rui Hachimura will not play this summer), Tominaga will have plenty of opportunities to score, but will also be asked to facilitate and recreate the magic from his record-breaking performance at the FIBA Asia Cup last July. 

That said, the Japanese coaching staff seems to have full confidence in Tominaga, and in a recent interview with FIBA, head coach, Luka Pavicevic praised his work ethic and leadership skills, saying, “He is a great example for the young players in the team, and he is a great example for the whole country.” 

Stay tuned – Keisei Tominaga is the real deal, and he is Up Next.