HOUSTON -- The University of Houston basketball team will face South Florida with only eight players Tuesday night after coach Ray McCallum suspended four players, including guard Kevin Gaines, charged in North Carolina with assault of a female.

"To me it's not about the necessities on the floor," McCallum said following a brief workout Monday. "To get to the championship level, you've got to have success off the floor. That's what this is about more than anything."

Gaines, leading scorer Dominic Smith, leading rebounder Louis Truscott and Marcus Oliver were suspended for violating team rules, just hours the Cougars lost to East Carolina 63-46.

Gaines was charged in Greenville, N.C., Sunday with assault of a female and his bond was set at $5,000. On Monday, Gaines' bond was increased to $10,300 and he remained in Pitt County jail after authorities learned he also was wanted in Michigan on check forgery charges.

The Cougars (15-12), after a slow start this season, had started to play much better basketball and were hoping to get into a postseason tournament for the first time since 1993. Now, they'll struggle through their final two regular season games short-handed.

"It's hurts quite a bit with all the negative media attention that we've got plus we lose four of our key players that are a part of our attack," Cougars captain George Williams said. "We just have to focus on the task at hand and move forward."

The Cougars returned home for a brief workout at Hofheinz Pavilion on Monday before departing for Tampa, Fla., for the game Tuesday against South Florida, a team they defeated earlier this season.

"The practice was intense, it was focused," Williams said. "We haven't had that for a while."

Williams said he had spoken with the three suspended players who were not arrested.

"They understand the consequences that they cost this team and the negative attention they got for themselves," Williams. "They are sorry for it."

McCallum said it would be a process of evaluation on when and if Smith, Truscott and Oliver would be allowed back on the team. He said Gaines was finished for the season.

Athletic director Dave Maggard said he had not spoken with Gaines but that the university would do its part to help him through his crisis.

"We're going to support him by giving him counseling here at the university," Maggard said. "I don't know all of what that might be right now. Obviously, Kevin has a situation that he'll have to do some things to get his life in order and at the present time, that doesn't have anything to do with basketball."