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UNM men's basketball: Lobos recruit has busy school schedule

By Jeremy Fowler
Tuesday, May 8, 2007

It's no wonder Monquel Pegues can make things happen during those three-second stints in the paint, with his back to the basket.

What he accomplishes in 24 hours these days is enough to make suit-and-tie stockbrokers seem lazy.

The 6-foot-10 Pegues - the latest signee to the University of New Mexico men's basketball team - is scrambling to stay eligible for next season by taking 21 hours of spring-semester classes at Cape Fear Community College. The typical college student takes 12 to 15 hours per semester.

His current schedule is this: attend class from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., play ball afterward and study until about midnight for the weeks leading up to finals.

Adding to the hectic schedule is a 90-mile drive every weekend from Wilmington, N.C., to Wilson to play the organ and keyboards for Abundant Life Church Ministries, a nondenominational church pastored by his mother, Gail Speight.

A drastic schedule is necessary for Pegues (pronounced puh-geese), whose dream to play Division I basketball could shatter with any flunking grades this spring or summer.

You can catch Pegues taking 15 hours this summer to stay on course.

This spring, Pegues said he will make B's and C's.

Previous mishaps have placed Pegues in this pressure-filled situation. Pegues took intermediate-level classes, which he says don't count as credits, during his first year at Cape Fear.

The exorbitant amount of work hasn't strayed the 256-pound Pegues from his goal of becoming a dominant, space-eating center for the Lobos.

"I don't mind school; I like it," Pegues said. "But sometimes I just want to play basketball. It's been kind of hard, but I'm maintaining. I have a great opportunity to play Division I basketball, so I'm going to do whatever I need to."

This experience has emotionally drained Pegues, Cape Fear coach Ryan Mantlo said.

The two often sat in the Cape Fear basketball office until the late-night hours of last week, and not to watch film on the pick-and-roll.

Pegues is looking to build on his junior college All-American honorable mention performance from last season, when he averaged 17.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.

For now, however, psychology and English take precedence over scoring and rebounding.

"He came into my office one day upset as can be," Mantlo said. "There are growing pains here. I'm just trying to help him through. If he doesn't do this, there's no way he'll get through school and go to New Mexico."

When Pegues needs to find strength from an example, he can think of Mom, who runs a church of more than 1,000 people in an era when the pastoral role typically belongs to males.

Pegues' busy schedule pales to that of Speight's, who runs a day care, a clothing store and a beauty salon on the side of her church work.

The multitasking by Speight, who is separated from Pegues' father, provided Pegues with a high-class home, he said. Pegues learned how to play the piano while growing up in a church atmosphere.

Pegues' music contributes to what he calls a "lively" congregation that sings and dances.

"Many believe only a man should be a pastor," Pegues said. "I don't really know why. I guess that's because that's what they believe in. I should always believe in what my mom does, though. It takes a lot of strength to do it. When she preaches, she preaches for everybody, but she always gives me encouraging words."

Though it's not tattooed on his arm or shoulder as with other basketball players, the popular Bible verse Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through him who strengthens me" - is Pegues' favorite reminder.

For many Christians, words like these point to a God who directs lives, not the other way around. That's why Pegues accepts the fact that if he's not destined to play professional basketball, he'll likely become a gospel or R&B music producer - though he makes it clear he doesn't sing.

Whatever is God's will, he says.

Right now, that's finishing his associate degree.

By next year, playing basketball and going to school will be more than enough for Pegues.

And maybe not as hectic.

"I think by then I can just take the regular schedule," Pegues said. "Maybe 12 hours."