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Iowa Basketball: Pemsl Doubles Down on Arrests

By Lance Patton

IOWA CITY, IOWA- DECEMBER 06: Forward Cordell Pemsl #35 of the Iowa Hawkeyes goes to the basket in the second half against guard Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones on December 6, 2018 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images)
IOWA CITY, IOWA- DECEMBER 06: Forward Cordell Pemsl #35 of the Iowa Hawkeyes goes to the basket in the second half against guard Talen Horton-Tucker #11 of the Iowa State Cyclones on December 6, 2018 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /
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Iowa forward Cordell Pemsl was arrested early this morning with the charge of driving with a revoked license.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 21: Cordell Pemsl #35 of the Iowa Hawkeyes tries to move against Tre Scott #13 of the Cincinnati Bearcats at the United Center on December 21, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Colorado defeated Dayton 78-76. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – DECEMBER 21: Cordell Pemsl #35 of the Iowa Hawkeyes tries to move against Tre Scott #13 of the Cincinnati Bearcats at the United Center on December 21, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Colorado defeated Dayton 78-76. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Welp, everyone says goodbye (for at least a few games and maybe the season?) to yet another Iowa player. Cordell Pemsl was booked at Johnson County at 1:02 AM today for driving with a revoked license, why is the license revoked you might ask? Well because in September, Pemsl was arrested at 3 in the morning driving twice the legal limit. Niceeeeee.

This is Pemsl’s second arrest in the last six months, the first one involved him being removed from all basketball-related activities so who knows what this one will lead to. I’m sure a suspension at the very least for a few games but it could be even longer. Which is not what this Iowa basketball team needs right now.

Iowa is operating on an eight-man rotation, already short-handed with season-long injuries to Jack Nunge and Jordan Bohannon, Patrick McCaffery is dealing with complications from his cancer and his status is still a question mark. Iowa is very thin, especially in the paint. Pemsl is averaging 12.2 minutes per game and has come in to help relieve Luka Garza and give him a minute to breathe, which is now gone. Iowa can either elect to play Riley Till, who has struggled this season and is not nearly the rebounder of Pemsl or go to a 7-man rotation. Not ideal.

Granted Pemsl hasn’t been great this year averaging 2.4 points (still averaging more points than the times he’s been arrested so that’s a plus) and 2.8 rebounds in 12.2 minutes. But the injury-plagued Hawkeyes need all the depth they can get and lose Cordell does exactly that, gives more minutes to Luka Garza and Joe Weiskamp who will both need all the rest they can get down the stretch.

Hopefully, Pemsl gets the help he needs and gets his life back on the right track. Hopefully, Luka Garza’s offseason conditioning has him ready to play extended minutes which he will need to do. Hopefully, Riley Till is ready to see an increase in minutes and will be able to give the Hawkeyes solid bench minutes with solid rebounding and defensive play.

We will have to wait and see what Fran McCaffery decides to do with yet another missing bench piece but in the meantime, it would be awesome if Iowa players could stay out of jail or the hospital.

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