TAMPA, Fla. -- Less than a week after wondering about their NIT chances, the Houston Cougars find themselves worrying about a more pressing issue -- whether they will have enough players for tonight's game against South Florida.
UH (15-12, 8-6 Conference USA) will suit up five scholarship players and three walk-ons tonight. Coach Ray McCallum suspended four players Sunday following incidents during a road trip to Greenville, N.C., where the Cougars lost to East Carolina 63-46 Saturday night.
Starting point guard Kevin Gaines, arrested on charges of assaulting a woman at about 2:30 a.m. EST Sunday outside a Greenville nightclub, has been suspended for the rest of the season. Starters Dominic Smith and Louis Truscott and reserve Marcus Oliver were suspended on a day-to-day basis -- apparently for breaking Saturday night curfew. All three will stay in Houston today.
Gaines remained in Pitt County jail on Monday. His bond was increased from $5,000 to $10,300 after authorities learned he was wanted in Michigan on charges of check forgery.
Neither McCallum nor UH athletic director Dave Maggard has had contact with Gaines, a transfer from Michigan. Under NCAA rules, the school can't provide legal services. Assistant coach Jerry Francis remained in Greenville over the weekend as a liaison.
McCallum said the status of Smith, Truscott and Oliver will be evaluated again when the team returns home from Florida.
Before leaving Houston on Monday, the Cougars practiced with assistant coach Brian Hecker and two managers. UH has only five scholarship players -- George Williams, Patrick Okafor, Jeremee McGuire, Bryan Shelton and Terry Price -- available tonight. Price, a former walk-on, was placed on scholarship for the spring semester. Also on the travel squad are walk-ons Julius Keys, a 6-3 sophomore from North Shore; 6-8 freshman Brian Paisley from Bellaire; and 6-10 freshman Moshood Martins from Fort Bend Austin. That trio has played a combined 10 minutes this season.
"Young men are going to make poor decisions, and that's what they did," said McCallum. "And we have to make them know now they made wrong decisions."
The Cougars had defeated South Florida, Memphis and Tulane before falling to a weak East Carolina team (11-16, 4-10).
"We haven't had a lot of success lately," McCallum said, "and that was as huge a week as we had had in a decade or so, and you have to know how to handle it and learn from it. They're guys 19 to 22 years old. When you go out into the business world and your boss says you have to be there from 8 to 5, you better know that's the way it is.
"It's not all about on-the-floor success. I've been on enough championship runs. I have enough (championship) rings. I want it for the players and for the fans."
Noting that the rest of the team was hurt by the actions of the missing four, team captain Williams added: "They understand the consequences. They cost this team.
"The most important thing is to focus on the task at hand -- South Florida and then UAB (Saturday in the Cougars' home finale). It's an unfortunate situation for the team. We still support those guys. It hurts with all the negative attention on the program and to lose four key players."
McCallum indicated Williams, a 6-7 junior forward, will play at least part of tonight's game at point guard, a position he played earlier this season against San Diego State when Smith was recovering from a knee injury.
"George probably has played more minutes the last three years than any player in the conference," McCallum said. "He'll have to play several positions in the game. He has to be our Magic Johnson."
Maggard, who took over as UH athletic director on Feb. 1, didn't elaborate on Gaines' future status with the Cougars.
"We will look at all the facts as they unfold and then make a decision based on the facts," Maggard said. "He can take advantage of the counseling services available to him at the school. We want to focus on what kind of help he needs, and that doesn't include basketball now."
South Florida coach Seth Greenberg sympathized with McCallum.
"It's a tragedy," Greenberg said. "You think of how hard the people have worked there. You live and die with the decisions of 18-year-olds. You can't hold their hands 24/7."
With two conference games left, the Cougars have a one-game lead on South Florida (17-10, 7-7) for second place in the National Division. The Bulls are trying to improve their slim NCAA Tournament chances.
In the final home game for seniors Altron Jackson and B.B. Waldon, the Bulls are hoping to pay back Houston for a 91-75 loss on Feb. 12.
