Virginia Tech basketball: Hokies add a big man for 2020-21

The Virginia Tech Hokies lost leading scorer Landers Nolley to the transfer portal. On Sunday, the Hokies added their second transfer of the offseason.

Cordell Pemsl, a 6-foot-9, 248-pound forward from Dubuque, Iowa, is transferring to Virginia Tech as a graduate transfer and has one year of eligibility remaining.

Much like Tech’s previous transfer, guard Cartier Diarra of Kansas State, Pemsl isn’t going to be a top offensive threat. For his career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Pemsl averaged 5.9 points per game and four rebounds per contest.

As a freshman back in 2016-17, Pemsl showed great promise as an offensive player. He played in 36 games that season, making 14 starts, averaging nine points and five rebounds per game.

However, in each of the next three years, Pemsl battled some injuries, including playing in just two games in 2018-19. In 2019-20, Pemsl played in 28 games and averaged just 2.8 points per game.

Pemsl isn’t going to come in and give head coach Mike Young a double-double each night. He does bring size and experience, two things Virginia Tech sorely lacked in Young’s first season. Pemsl should be considered an immediate starter for the Hokies in 2020-21 on what will still be a very young team.

Throughout the offseason, Tech has been actively pursuing transfers. Young is looking for rotational players with experience who are also good defenders. Both Pemsl and Diarra provide each trait. While Diarra did have a career season in 2019-20, he isn’t expected to come in and be Tech’s top scoring threat next season.

Welcome to Blackburg, Mr. Pemsl.