Huskers Sign Wilhelm Breidenbach

Huskers Sign Wilhelm Breidenbach
California Big Man is Ranked No. 53 Nationally by ESPN.com

Credit Source: University of Nebraska Athletics

Lincoln – University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday that Wilhelm Breidenbach has signed a National-Letter-of-Intent with the Husker program.

 

A 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward from Santa Ana, Calif., Breidenbach plays for national power Mater Dei High School for legendary Coach Gary McKnight, who has won more than 1,150 games in his 38 years of coaching at the school.

 

Breidenbach is ranked No. 53 nationally by ESPN in the class of 2021, matching highest-ranked recruit the Huskers have signed coming out of high school dating back to 2007. He is also ranked No. 90 in the 247Sports Composite, which combines all of the major national recruiting services rankings.

 

The No. 10 center nationally by ESPN, he averaged 11.9 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in 2019-20, as Mater Dei went 25-8 and reached the CIF Open Division Regional semifinals. He was an All-CIF Southern Section Open Division team and first-team All-Orange County in 2019-20, as he posted six double-doubles, including an 18-point, 14-rebound effort against Sierra Canyon. As a sophomore, he averaged 12.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, including 10 double-doubles, as Mater Dei went 29-5 and was the CIF Southern California finalist.

 

According to Hoiberg, Breidenbach’s size, skill and motor makes him a prospect who could make an immediate impact next season for the Huskers.

 

“Wilheim brings a skill set that translates well to the up-tempo system we play,” Hoiberg said. “He runs the floor well, has the ability to play inside out and is a physical player who can easily step out to the perimeter and stretch the defense. One of the things that stands out when you watch him is his energy level he plays with. He is relentless and is not afraid to make the hustle plays that help his team win.”

 

Breidenbach, who is the first California native to sign with the Huskers out of high school since 2006, has started since his freshman year and begins his senior season in March with nearly 1,000 points and over 600 rebounds in his career. He played his AAU ball with Team Why Not on the EYBL circuit. Breidenbach is also a very solid student at Mater Dei with close to a 4.0 GPA.

 

Name  Pos.     Ht        Wt.      Hometown     Previous School
Wilhelm Breidenbach F          6-9       210      Santa Ana, Calif.         Mater Dei High School

 

 

Huskers Sign Keisei Tominaga
Junior College Transfer Ranked Among National Leaders in 3-Point Shooting

 

Lincoln – University of Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Wednesday afternoon that Keisei Tominaga (pronounced Kee-sea Toe-may-nawga) has signed a National-Letter-of-Intent with the Husker program. Tominaga, a 6-foot-2, 176-pound guard, is currently a sophomore at Ranger (Texas) College, which will begin its season in January of 2021. One of the top shooters in junior college basketball, he finished in the top-20 nationally in both 3-point percentage (47.9 percent) and 3-pointers per game (3.4 per game) in 2019-20.

 

“Keisei is one of the more unique signees in program history, and we are excited to add him to our team,” Hoiberg said of the first Japanese player to sign with Nebraska men’s basketball. “He’s nicknamed ‘the Japanese Steph Curry’ and is truly an elite 3-point shooter with unlimited range and a quick release. Keisei will make an immediate impact not only with his shooting, but also in floor spacing, as it will help us create driving lanes for others.”

 

Tominaga was one of the top freshmen in junior college basketball last season, helping Ranger College and Coach Billy Gillespie to a 28-3 record and a berth in the NJCAA National Tournament before the season was ended because of the COVID-19 pandemic. A first-team All-Region V and Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference honoree, Tominaga averaged 16.8 points per game on 55 percent shooting, including 47.9 percent from 3-point range. He was named conference freshman of the year, leading the conference in 3-point shooting and finishing sixth in both scoring and field goal percentage. He totaled 11 games with at least 20 points in 2019-20, including a season high 34-point outburst against Victoria College when he went 8-of-14 from long range. He will have a new coach this season as James Stafford took over for Gillespie this spring.

 

Tominaga has also played internationally for his native Japan, as he is was named to Japan’s B National team, which consists of some of the top prospects in the country, in August of 2020.  Previously, he starred for Japan’s U-18 team at the Asian Championships, averaging 19.3 points per game to rank fifth among all players in the competition. Tominaga had three 20-point games in the tournament to lead Japan to a fifth-place finish, highlighted by a 33-point performance against Bahrain. He made his national team debut earlier that year, suiting up for the U-16 program at the Asian Championships and averaging 17.5 points per game to finish fourth among all scorers, including a tournament high 3.2 3-pointers per game.

 

As a high school senior, he averaged 39.8 points per game for Sakuragaoka Gakuen High School at the All-Japan Championship, including a 46-pooint performance in the third-place game.

 

Keisei comes from a basketball family, as his father, Hiroyuki, was a center on the Japan national team and played in the 1998 FIBA World Championship and played professionally in Japan for a decade.

 

Name                         Pos.  Ht       Wt.   Hometown                          Previous School
Keisei Tominaga        G       6-2     176   Moriyama Nagoya Aichi, Japan       Ranger College/Sakuragaoka Gakuen HS