Jerome Burney, who has barely played this season for Maryland despite the team's lack of inside players, will miss three to six weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, Gary Williams announced today.

It marks the second time in his three years in College Park that the 6-10 center has been sidelined because of a foot injury. Burney was redshirted as a freshman because of a recurring foot problem. Williams said he didn't know if it was the same foot.

In Burney's absence, Williams will now turn back to sophomore Braxton Dupree or freshman Steve Goins, or possibly go without anyone over 6-7 if he stays with a combination of senior Dave Neal or sophomore Dino Gregory.

Asked specifically about Dupree, who was benched for missing class against Michigan and played only one minute against George Washington, Williams said, "I think he's trying to figure out what he has to do to get back on the court. With Jerome Burney going down for a while, he's certainly going to get a chance in practice. Even today is an important practice for him for tomorrow night."