Leslie in the process of getting his list to five schools

Leslie, Cothron, Bullock, Harrow and Tabb all set to play in Glaxo in December.

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina senior forward Iman McFarland sprained her right ankle in practice on Wednesday and will miss Friday's game against Virginia.

"She won't play [Friday], but I don't know about Monday," said UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell, whose No. 2-ranked Tar Heels face the No. 14 Cavaliers on Friday and No. 1 Connecticut on Monday.

McFarland, a 6-foot-3 forward from Temple Hills, Md., suffered a high ankle sprain after rolling it in practice coming down for a rebound. She was wearing a black medical boot on the sidelines at practice on Thursday.

In a reserve role this season she's averaged 5.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game.

UNC host the Cavaliers in a key ACC matchup at 8:30 p.m. on Friday at the Smith Center.  

NOTE - UNC junior forward Jessica Breland, who sprained her ankle during Sunday's game against N.C. State, returned to practice this week. She will be available for Friday's game.

She fully participated in practice on Thursday and showed no signs of the injury.  

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (AP)—Beware, Western Michigan. Sylvia Hatchell doesn’t like to get embarrassed.
The North Carolina coach was livid at her team’s sloppy play in a win against Illinois and vowed to have the Tar Heels much sharper for their next game, which just happens to be against the Broncos on Dec. 28.
“This is not our typical team and I’m embarrassed that people saw us play like we did tonight,” Hatchell said.
Imagine how she’d react had the second-ranked Tar Heels lost instead of rallying past the Illini 68-59 on Saturday.
There was plenty for the coach to criticize. Still, Italee Lucas had 10 of her 19 points in an 18-2 run that lifted North Carolina to the victory and a 12-0 start for the third time in four seasons.

Here's my AP women's basketball ballot for Week 5.

No. 1 Connecticut (7-0)
No. 2 North Carolina (10-0)
No. 3 Stanford (7-1)
No. 4 Texas A&M (9-0)
No. 5 Oklahoma (8-2) 
No. 6 Texas (9-0)
No. 7 Baylor (9-1)
No. 8 Duke (6-1)
No. 9 Louisville (9-1)
No. 10 Tennessee (7-2)
No. 11 Auburn (10-0)
No. 12 Rutgers (6-2)
No. 13 California (8-2)
No. 14 Notre Dame (8-1)
No. 15 Maryland (8-2)
No. 16 Pittsburgh (7-1)
No. 17 Virginia (7-2)
No. 18 Ohio State (7-2)
No. 19 Vanderbilt (8-2)
No. 20 Oklahoma State (4-2)
No. 21. Arizona State (6-2)
No. 22 Florida (10-1)
No. 23 Kansas State (9-0)
No. 24 Georgia Tech
No. 25 TCU (8-3)
 

The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 23, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:

Others receiving votes: Marist 59, Pittsburgh 40, Marquette 30, Florida St. 29, Hartford 24, Kansas St. 18, LSU 18, Georgia Tech 15, Arkansas 9, DePaul 8, Syracuse 8, Georgia 6, Coastal Carolina 4, Michigan 4, S. Dakota St. 4, Florida 3, Gonzaga 3, Utah 3, Montana 2.

North Carolina guard Italee Lucus feels more comfortable these days in her new role. She's no longer a point guard in the No. 6-ranked Tar Heels' system and said it's liberating to just concentrate on scoring.

The 5-foot-8 sophomore guard shared point guard responsibilities with fellow freshman guard Cetera DeGraffenreid last season, though Lucas clearly seemed stifled by the requirements of the job.

Lucas said a move to the off guard spot has helped her get over those uneasy feelings. She clearly looked comfortable in the  Heels' season-opening games against Western Carolina and Virginia Commonwealth, dribbling with confidence and some improved control. At times made erratic choices, but she often seemed more decisive with the ball.

Against Western Carolina, she scored 12 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the field, making 2 of 3 from 3-point range. She added eight points against VCU on 3 of 9 shooting. 

Her numbers were not spectacular. She combined for seven turnovers for the weekend. Still, Lucas looked to use her speed and ballhandling ability to attack from the wing. She seems to be finding her shooting range and is figuring out how to balance her gifts with the coaching staff's expectations. 

Listen to Lucas, a native of Las Vegas, talk about what's different this season. 

Women's college basketball opens this weekend and here's a game schedule of The Associated Press' top 25 teams through Monday.

As Carmichael Auditorium is renovated, North Carolina's women's basketball program has moved into Koury Natatorium and will play in the Smith Center this season.

UNC coach Sylvia Hatchell said that's just fine with her. The court is the same. The basket is the same. Just go play.

Still, as the No. 6-ranked Tar Heels open their season tonight against Western Carolina in the first round of the WNIT, players may still be adjusting to the larger venue. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

"It's a lot bigger and that has taken some getting used to, but we're looking forward to playing here," UNC senior guard Heather Claytor said. "The size of the Smith Center is kind of like the heat in Carmichael, it was something we were used to and it became an advantage for us."

The Heels own a 17-9 record when playing in the Smith Center since their first game there in 1987.

Listen to Hatchell talk more about moving into the Smith Center and playing there this season.