Iowa basketball player Cordell Pemsl arrested for driving with revoked license

Shivansh Ahuja

Iowa forward Cordell Pemsl dribbles during a men’s basketball match between Iowa and Cincinnati at the United Center in Chicago on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2019.

Kayli Reese, Managing Editor


University of Iowa men’s basketball forward Cordell Pemsl was arrested early Monday morning for driving with a revoked license due to an OWI charge he received in September. Pemsl will be suspended for Iowa’s next game against Indiana on Thursday for violating the UI Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.

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According to the arrest affidavit, Pemsl — 22-year-old Dubuque, Iowa, native — was stopped by law enforcement at 1:02 a.m. Monday at South Riverside Drive and Highway 1 West for a broken tail light cover. Pemsl gave the deputy an Iowa ID card after being pulled over and said he did not have a driver’s license.

His license was revoked from Oct. 1, 2019, to March 28 after he was charged Sept. 20, 2019, with first-offense OWI.

Pemsl failed a breathalyzer test with a .151 percent breath-alcohol concentration, according to the September arrest affidavit. Pemsl was originally pulled over at the time for failing to obey a traffic-control device and for having a cracked tail light. Pemsl then showed signs of intoxication, the affidavit said, including bloodshot eyes and impaired speech and balance.

Following this charge, Pemsl was suspended for the first two games of the Iowa men’s basketball season, one of which was an exhibition game. Pemsl has played in 22 games this season, averaging 2.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.