HOUSTON (AP) - Four players from Houston's basketball team were suspended Sunday, including Kevin Gaines, who coach Ray McCallum said will not return this season.
Also suspended for unspecified periods were leading scorer Dominic Smith, leading rebounder Louis Truscott and Marcus Oliver.
The school did not specify why the players were suspended, only saying a "violation of team rules was involved."
"(Gaines) has some real issues in his life that he must get in order," McCallum said. "We will support him, but basketball is a secondary issue right now."
The other three players must undergo "administrative program consultation" before returning to the team, McCallum said.
"These players will be provided some counseling and support programs before they rejoin the team," McCallum said.
Houston, which lost 63-46 at East Carolina on Saturday, is 15-12 overall and 8-6 in Conference USA.
Smith, a senior guard, leads the Cougars in scoring at 15.6 points, while Truscott, a junior forward, is next at 13.1 points and leads in rebounding at 9.5 per game. Gaines, a sophomore guard, averaged 10.0 points, while Oliver, a junior guard, was averaging 5.0 points.
