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On Friday, the Iowa Hawkeyes got some tough news as fans learned that upperclassman forward Cordell Pemsl would be transferring from the program. He has been a productive player for the Hawkeyes over the last three seasons.
Source: #Hawkeyes forward Cordell Pemsl has entered the Transfer Portal.
— David Eickholt (@DavidEickholt) April 3, 2020
Pemsl originally arrived on campus as a member of Iowa’s 2016 recruiting class. He was rated as a three-star prospect and arrived with players like Jordan Bohannon and Tyler Cook. Most fans were hoping he could use his length to become the latest in Fran McCaffery’s long line of productive wing players.
This is what Pemsl had to say in a release:
“I would like to thank my teammates, coaches, and fans for a memorable four years at the University of Iowa,” Pemsl said. “I am grateful for the support Hawkeye Nation has shown me through many difficult times. With that being said, I am going to finish my degree and plan on completing my final year of eligibility at another school next season. I wish my teammates the best of luck in the future and appreciate everything the University of Iowa has done for me.”
During the last four seasons, Pemsl has been a key contributor for Iowa. He has played in a total of 96 games and averaged 16.3 minutes, 5.9 points, and 3.2 rebounds per game during his career. Pemsl saw most of his time as a frontcourt reserve last year. Unfortunately, his contributions were limited by a number of injuries during his time at Iowa.
The good news is Iowa is prepared to move past Pemsl. The team will have to find some more depth, but Luka Garza and Ryan Kriener are both set to return after productive 2019-’20 seasons. And what looks like it could be an even deeper backcourt next year, Iowa remains in great shape moving forward, even without Pemsl.
McCaffery said the following about Pemsl in a release:
“Cordell is graduating this year, and I can’t thank him enough for the contributions that he has made to our program over the past four years,” said Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery. “He was a valuable teammate on one NIT and two NCAA Tournament teams, all while overcoming three major surgeries over the last six years. Cordell is beloved by Hawkeye Nation and he has my complete support in the coming months during this transition.”
How everything will sort out for the Hawkeyes moving forward remains to be seen, but everyone certainly wishes Pemsl the best for the rest of his career and beyond.