Florida State is quick and small, so Providence diminutive sophomore guard Sharaud Curry was going to be critical for the Friars in the game on Friday night.

However, the team's leading scorer (17.3 ppg) won't be on the court after Providence coach Tim Welsh suspended Curry indefinitely for violating team rules.

The Friars (9-2) have been impressive since a loss to Brown more than a month ago. Curry will miss Friday's game and also could sit out against Longwood (Jan. 2) before returning against Marquette on Jan. 4.

Now look for 6-foot-5 Weyimni Efejuku, who has been playing the best basketball of his career recently, to slide over and see time at the point. Freshman Dwain Williams will also fill in for Curry and Geoff McDermott will have the ball in his hands more.

It's going to be tough to expect a Curry-less Friars team to be able to beat Florida State down in Tampa.

One of the best matchups of the early season will pit Seminoles forward Al Thornton against McDermott, one of the most versatile and underrated players in the country.

For a different reason, the injury to Jared Dudley could be as beneficial to his team as a similar injury sustained by Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce.

While Pierce's left foot injury could allow the Celtics to fall heavily into the Greg Oden sweepstakes, the one just miles away to Dudley's left foot could force his teammates to step up in his absence.

Dudley will miss the next three games against a trio of cupcakes who have combined to win eight games so far this season.

Junior shot-blocking freak Sean Williams has already stepped up - especially on the offensive end. It's the combination of Tyrese Rice and Sean Marshall that will have to shoulder the load with Dudley on the sidelines.

The Eagles will also be without 6-foot-8 Akida McLain, the oft-suspended junior who severely sprained his ankle a little more than four minutes into the loss to Kansas. McLain had scored 4 points in the opening minutes and is expected to miss the next few weeks.

Rice's numbers look impressive (14 points, 4.9 assists), but the sophomore is shooting just 37 percent from the field and 27 percent from long distance. He's also averaged 3.4 turnovers per contest.

Marshall has been inconsistent - as has been the norm for the 6-foot-5 senior over the past year or so. He scored just 5 points in the loss to Kansas Saturday and is shooting 32 percent from three-point land - a decrease from both his sophomore and junior campaign.

Dudley isn't going to be able to get BC (7-3) to a second-place finish in the ACC by himself. He'll need some help - and now is the time for someone to step up.

Cal's DeVon Hardin and Louisville's Derrick Caracter are both on the sidelines.

Hardin's suffered a foot injury that will keep him out of the lineup for the next three months. Caracter has been given an indefinite leave of absence to address personal issues.

The loss of Hardin for Cal coach Ben Braun is potentially devastating. With a 1-2 punch on the frontline of the athletic Hardin and skilled freshman Ryan Anderson, the Bears could compete with anyone in the Pac-10 on any given night.

The loss of Caracter is also potentially devastating in that the skilled freshman had gotten his body into tremendous shape, losing more than 50 pounds since arriving on campus.

Caracter had gotten into constant foul trouble of late, but Pitino was going to need production from the big man because veteran big man David Padgett's knees are shot and he'll, in all likelihood, never be the same player he was with Kansas.

SUTTON GETS EXTENSION

One of the best stories of the early season is the five-year extension given to Tennessee Tech coach Mike Sutton.

Sutton, 50, is in his fifth season with the Golden Eagles. Sutton was stricken with Guillain-Barre' Syndrome in April of 2005, just after leading to the team to the Ohio Valley Conference title. He spent much of the following summer paralzyed and fighting for his life.

Sutton, a former Kentucky assistant, returned to the sidelines last December with the aid of a motorized wheelchair. The team was 19-12 last season and is 5-6 this year.

BENNETT KEEPS ROLLING

Tony Bennett keeps rolling at Washington State - the latest was a victory against a talented San Diego State club.

As we reported weeks ago, Minnesota is keeping a close eye on the Washington State first-year coach. He coached with his father, Dick, at Wisconsin and would be the ideal replacement for Dan Monson.

VOLS RESERVE GUARD OUT

Tennessee junior point guard Jordan Howell won't be in the lineup this weekend for the Vols game against Texas. Howell broke his right hand in practice on Thursday and will be out for 6-8 weeks. Howell is averaging 3.1 points and 2.2 assists.

Gonzaga will return to Spokane down after losing two straight at Georgia and against Duke in what was basically a road game for the Bulldogs.

Mark Few and his staff have done a good job getting the most out of this team early despite suffering some injuries to key guys.

Former Kansas swingman Micah Downs, a skilled and somewhat enigmatic Washington native, said he's hopeful of returning in a couple weeks from a stress reaction in his foot that has delayed his debut with the Zags. A realistic target date is probably mod-January.

Downs would have helped on Thursday night when Gonzaga was in dire need of an outside shooter after the Blue Devils effectively took Derek Raivio out of the game.

Gonzaga is also without freshman big man Theo Davis, a talented and well-traveled Canadian who tore his rotator cuff on the first day of practice. The Zags are hopeful he'll be able to return at some point this year.

Larry Gurganious, a sophomore forward, is out with a back injury and will have to sit for at least another six weeks before the doctors are able to give him the go-ahead to get back on the court.

David Burgess (Chris Burgess' not-so-little brother) is out until at least the middle of next month and the former BYU big man has been inactive for such a long time that he probably won't make any impact this year.

The key, though, is Downs.

He's talented and can give Few's club another perimeter threat - something they desperately need so they don't have to rely on Raivio.

It's not exactly a major loss, but Arizona sophomore guard J.P. Prince is leaving Tucson.

The 6-foot-6 Memphis native averaged one point and one assist in three games this season and hasn't played since Nov. 19.

Prince is not a pure point guard and is also a poor outside shooter and saw the writing on the wall after guys like Daniel Dillon and freshmen Chase Budinger and Nic Wise took minutes away from him this year.

FORMER USC GUARD CHOOSES DESTINATION

Sead Odzic, a 6-foot-3 sophomore shooting guard who decided to leave USC due to a lack of playing time, will transfer to Illinois State.

Odzic is a native of Illinois and played at Niles West High.

Odzic didn't play this season for the Trojans after playing 30 games and started five a year ago as a freshman.

HAIRSTON HURT AGAIN

Oregon junior wing Malik Hairston, who missed the first five games of the season with a groin injury, is hurt again.

He injured his left heel during practice on Tuesday and will likely miss the Ducks' game Saturday against Mercer. Hairston didn't suffer any ligament or tendon damage.