24 Hawkeyes to Watch | Hawk Talk Monthly – November
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball junior forward Cordell Pemsl is scheduled to have season-ending surgery next month after final exams. The announcement came Tuesday by head coach Fran McCaffery.
“Cordell’s procedure is to remove hardware near his knee from a previous surgery when he was in high school,” said McCaffery. “It was hoped this procedure could wait until the end of the season, but is now determined the hardware removal is necessary before he will be able to return to the court.
“Cordell really worked hard preparing for his junior season and this is an unfortunate setback. We will submit a medical hardship waiver request to the Big Ten Conference after the season.”
“I have been attempting to play through some chronic irritation caused by the hardware during preseason practice, but after consulting with our training staff it is determined that the best course of action is to correct the problem before returning to the court. Although I am disappointed that I will be unable to help the team on the court this season, I am confident in my teammates and will do everything I can to be a good teammate from the sidelines.”
Pemsl (6-foot-8, 230 pounds) has played in only one game this season, 13 minutes in the season opener against UMKC on Nov. 8. The native of Dubuque, Iowa, has played in 67 career games, averaging 7.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Iowa hosts Pitt in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge tonight at 8:05 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
