Pemsl Says His Confidence Is Back
Cordell Pemsl admitted to a crisis of confidence on Wednesday.
But his play in Iowa’s 58-55 win at Minnesota on Sunday helped change that.
In his first game back after being suspended for last Thursday’s game at Indiana, Pemsl had six points and three rebounds in 17 minutes against the Gophers, playing a key role off the bench for the depleted Hawkeyes, who were without injured guard CJ Fredrick.
“With CJ out, I knew there was an opportunity for more minutes,” Pemsl said. “It was a great opportunity, and I had to take advantage of it.”
Pemsl was suspended for the Indiana game after being arrested three days earlier for driving with a revoked license. It was Pemsl’s second suspension of the season — he missed the first two games as part of his punishment for his arrest for drunken driving in September.
Pemsl, a fourth-year junior, has come off the bench in 23 games this season, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds.
“It’s all been on my head,” Pemsl said of his struggles at times this season. “I’ve been down on myself, lacking confidence. Sometimes I feel like I’m in this position where I don’t know what to do.”
Asked if he wasn’t having fun this season, Pemsl shook his head.
“No, no, I’m having fun,” he said. “I’m in a place where I’m comfortable, where I feel appreciated, you know what I’m saying? I think a lacking of confidence is what you see.”
Pemsl had nine points and five rebounds in the two games before his suspension.
Iowa coach Fran McCaffery appreciated the way Pemsl responded against Minnesota.
“You know, I think that was the unfortunate thing about the Indiana game because he was working towards that,” McCaffery said. “He felt really good. He had some great practices and felt like he was going to have a good game down there and then didn't play. I think that made him even hungrier for the next one. And he knew we needed him and he came up big in a huge way and I think his teammates appreciated that.”
“He’s a huge part of our team,” center Luka Garza said. “Total energy guy — he provides a lift every time he’s on the court. He’s got a lot of enthusiasm.
“A lot of guys in the locker room respect him. So when he’s going out there and going hard, it uplifts people. I’m just really proud of him with how he handled his mistake and came back. I told him when it happened we all got him, we all got his back. And we’ll be there for him no matter what.”
Pemsl said he sent a text message to his teammates after his arrest, apologizing for the incident.
“I let them know what happened, that I was sorry,” Pemsl said. “I knew it wasn’t the end of the world, but it was a distraction for us during a period of games where it’s coming down to the wire, it’s close to March. They were all understanding.
“For me, the hardest part is letting people down I care the most about. Because they know who I am. The people who mattered most to me, they were there for me.”
“When he came back, it was no surprise he was right back in the fold, doing his thing,” Garza said.
Pemsl wants Sunday’s game to be a foundation for the rest of the season.
“I feel loose again,” he said. “I feel like I can go out there and be myself. Last game was a big positive. I felt like my old self again, playing like the old me. I just want to keep moving in that direction. Every opportunity I get, I want to make the most of.
“There’s a lot that’s happened in the last five, six months. It’s been a lot. I know I’m strong enough to overcome those obstacles off the court, and not let them affect my game here.”
