Caught up with Iowa commit Cordell Pemsl today to talk about his season.
Video: https://vimeo.com/122440059
Transcript:
Q: So first, take me back to Saturday. What was the experience like winning back to back state titles?
PEMSL: Oh, it was very exciting. I mean obviously we came out pretty slow in that championship game, but I think we just did exactly what they wanted to in that first half. They wanted to slow down our pace of the game, get us to take contested shots, turn the ball over, and get going a little bit, and I think we were just so eager to score because of the long defensive possessions that we just weren't being ourselves. Once we got into halftime, we knew we weren't doing what we wanted to do, so we game planned right for the second half and came out strong in that third quarter to get a good lead for us to feel comfortable in that fourth quarter as well.
Q: Looking back at your season, it's only been over for a couple days, but tell me about the adversity that you dealt with and how you kind of fought through that.
PEMSL: Yeah. I mean, just a month there before the season started, I ended up tearing my meniscus during open gym. There was a lot of talk about how is Wahlert going to get through this and whatnot, but I knew if I came back strong and did what I could do for my team that we could make a run in the post-season. There was a lot of talk, after we started out poorly going 1-3, about what's Wahlert going to do, are they going to just fall over and keep losing? And we knew we had a big target on our back coming from the state championship the year before. But we were never scared or intimidated. We just kept playing our game and even with a couple losses, we never let it define us.
Q: With your injury, you had to take a period off during the season. How did you feel in these last few weeks as it wound down?
PEMSL: I was definitely eager to get back once those six games were over for me. I missed a couple big ones with Iowa City West and whatnot, but in the long run I knew it was what we needed as a team. It only built our team chemistry even more playing without me. So to get back in the lineup with the team and then make a big run in the post-season and to end up winning back to back, it was a great experience for us as a team.
Q: With your knee, where do you go from here? Just need more time off or what's next for you?
PEMSL: Yeah. Right now, I'm probably going to end up taking four to six weeks off here to get my body right. Not just the knee, but overall get my body right and come back better than ever hopefully.
Q: So you will be taking the spring off and then playing AAU in the summer?
PEMSL: Yeah. The plan right now is probably from the middle of April until the beginning of May to just rehab a lot and get myself to where I feel like I'm 100% and able to compete on the floor.
Q: Is there anything physically or mentally with the game that was different your junior year?
PEMSL: I think that my IQ and passing ability is where people definitely thought that there was a difference. Obviously I wasn't myself. I wasn't the same with the pre-season injury. I wasn't jumping the same or obviously as explosive or quick. But I knew that if I could contribute as a team player, I might not be averaging as many points, but as long as I could get my teammates open shots, we were going to be able to win games.
Q: Looking at college, what has the contact been like with Iowa during the season?
PEMSL: It's been great. I got to go up to, I think, three or four games and we stay in contact at least once a week with Coach McCaffery, Coach Dillard, Coach Francis, and all of them. And they treat me like family. It's like I'm another son to them and it's like I'm there already. So I mean the contact's been great. We stay in touch, they make sure I'm doing okay, and vice versa.
Q: What was their message to you as far as dealing with the adversity and just what to work on moving forward?
PEMSL: I mean they just wanted me to know that they're going to be here no matter what. This injury wasn't going to change their mind about me at all. They know that obviously I wasn't at 100% during the year and now that the season is over I'll be able to get myself to be where I want to be, so as long as I keep working forward, there's no problem there.
Q: As far as your game, have they given you anything to grow on or to work on moving forward?
PEMSL: I mean they know that once I get there I'm not going to be a five. They know I'm going to be a stretch four or a three, so they just stay to work on explosiveness, being able to guard on the perimeter, and being able to take my guy off the dribble now being stretched out on the floor.
Q: What's it been like for you following their season and their run lately?
PEMSL: I mean they're a great team when they want to be. I can't wait to watch what they do in the NCAA Tournament. I feel like they got a great draw and they could be a threat as the post-season continues.
Q: After AAU, tell me about next year, your senior year, going for a three-peat. What do you guys have coming back and what do you look forward to your senior year?
PEMSL: Obviously, David Wedewer (a junior), he showed who he can be in the first couple of games in the state tournament. I mean he's a great point guard. He gets the ball inside, he penetrates, he can shoot the ball, and he's going to be a guy that you're going to need to guard as a senior. Obviously we're losing big people in Nolan Timp and Josh Carter, but I think with our supporting cast from this last year stepping up as seniors that we could do damage as the year goes on next year.
Q: Any predictions, anything like that?
PEMSL: Oh, I don't want to say anything yet because it's too early, but we're hoping to get that three-peat.
Video: https://vimeo.com/122440059
Transcript:
Q: So first, take me back to Saturday. What was the experience like winning back to back state titles?
PEMSL: Oh, it was very exciting. I mean obviously we came out pretty slow in that championship game, but I think we just did exactly what they wanted to in that first half. They wanted to slow down our pace of the game, get us to take contested shots, turn the ball over, and get going a little bit, and I think we were just so eager to score because of the long defensive possessions that we just weren't being ourselves. Once we got into halftime, we knew we weren't doing what we wanted to do, so we game planned right for the second half and came out strong in that third quarter to get a good lead for us to feel comfortable in that fourth quarter as well.
Q: Looking back at your season, it's only been over for a couple days, but tell me about the adversity that you dealt with and how you kind of fought through that.
PEMSL: Yeah. I mean, just a month there before the season started, I ended up tearing my meniscus during open gym. There was a lot of talk about how is Wahlert going to get through this and whatnot, but I knew if I came back strong and did what I could do for my team that we could make a run in the post-season. There was a lot of talk, after we started out poorly going 1-3, about what's Wahlert going to do, are they going to just fall over and keep losing? And we knew we had a big target on our back coming from the state championship the year before. But we were never scared or intimidated. We just kept playing our game and even with a couple losses, we never let it define us.
Q: With your injury, you had to take a period off during the season. How did you feel in these last few weeks as it wound down?
PEMSL: I was definitely eager to get back once those six games were over for me. I missed a couple big ones with Iowa City West and whatnot, but in the long run I knew it was what we needed as a team. It only built our team chemistry even more playing without me. So to get back in the lineup with the team and then make a big run in the post-season and to end up winning back to back, it was a great experience for us as a team.
Q: With your knee, where do you go from here? Just need more time off or what's next for you?
PEMSL: Yeah. Right now, I'm probably going to end up taking four to six weeks off here to get my body right. Not just the knee, but overall get my body right and come back better than ever hopefully.
Q: So you will be taking the spring off and then playing AAU in the summer?
PEMSL: Yeah. The plan right now is probably from the middle of April until the beginning of May to just rehab a lot and get myself to where I feel like I'm 100% and able to compete on the floor.
Q: Is there anything physically or mentally with the game that was different your junior year?
PEMSL: I think that my IQ and passing ability is where people definitely thought that there was a difference. Obviously I wasn't myself. I wasn't the same with the pre-season injury. I wasn't jumping the same or obviously as explosive or quick. But I knew that if I could contribute as a team player, I might not be averaging as many points, but as long as I could get my teammates open shots, we were going to be able to win games.
Q: Looking at college, what has the contact been like with Iowa during the season?
PEMSL: It's been great. I got to go up to, I think, three or four games and we stay in contact at least once a week with Coach McCaffery, Coach Dillard, Coach Francis, and all of them. And they treat me like family. It's like I'm another son to them and it's like I'm there already. So I mean the contact's been great. We stay in touch, they make sure I'm doing okay, and vice versa.
Q: What was their message to you as far as dealing with the adversity and just what to work on moving forward?
PEMSL: I mean they just wanted me to know that they're going to be here no matter what. This injury wasn't going to change their mind about me at all. They know that obviously I wasn't at 100% during the year and now that the season is over I'll be able to get myself to be where I want to be, so as long as I keep working forward, there's no problem there.
Q: As far as your game, have they given you anything to grow on or to work on moving forward?
PEMSL: I mean they know that once I get there I'm not going to be a five. They know I'm going to be a stretch four or a three, so they just stay to work on explosiveness, being able to guard on the perimeter, and being able to take my guy off the dribble now being stretched out on the floor.
Q: What's it been like for you following their season and their run lately?
PEMSL: I mean they're a great team when they want to be. I can't wait to watch what they do in the NCAA Tournament. I feel like they got a great draw and they could be a threat as the post-season continues.
Q: After AAU, tell me about next year, your senior year, going for a three-peat. What do you guys have coming back and what do you look forward to your senior year?
PEMSL: Obviously, David Wedewer (a junior), he showed who he can be in the first couple of games in the state tournament. I mean he's a great point guard. He gets the ball inside, he penetrates, he can shoot the ball, and he's going to be a guy that you're going to need to guard as a senior. Obviously we're losing big people in Nolan Timp and Josh Carter, but I think with our supporting cast from this last year stepping up as seniors that we could do damage as the year goes on next year.
Q: Any predictions, anything like that?
PEMSL: Oh, I don't want to say anything yet because it's too early, but we're hoping to get that three-peat.
