Harris looking for his best interest

Rashanti Harris has some decisions to make. Will he stay close to his Columbus, Miss. home? Will he play Division I ball? Will he sign in the spring? The 6-foot-9, 239-pound forward asks himself those questions every day.

After a strong summer, the Rivals150 big man is contemplating his next move. School is in session and he says his senior year is going strong. But don't expect him to be in a rush to take visits and sign early.

Harris said he wants to wait until after Christmas before he talks about his college future. Still yet to take the SAT, Harris wants to get things focused in the classroom before making his next move.

Part of the decision making process is figuring out who is serious and who is not, and as Harris puts it, who has his best interest in mind.

"I don't want to say what schools I like because I don't want to make any colleges made for leaving them off the list. But I'm still picking and choosing," Harris said. "One day, I might be feeling one college and I might like them on that day. Then the next day, I might see something or hear of something about another school and it blows them out of the water. I'm just picking and choosing who is close to the house that I'd want to go to or picking and choosing the schools that aren't close to the house. I don't really know if I want to stay or go far away."

The three-star big man said he has offers from Mississippi State and Ole Miss. Tennessee, Texas and Florida have all shown various amounts of interest to go along with the state schools, Harris said.

"Mississippi State has been hitting me the hard and then a couple of JUCO schools in Tennessee and Texas have been calling me a lot," Harris said. "I want to go to a four-year college.

"I can probably get to a four-year college without having to go to a junior college and a lot of that is my fault because I should have taken care of all of that earlier in high school. At this point, I probably will have to go to a JUCO. I think it will be in my best interest to do that."

Like most in-state recruits, Harris said he is contemplating a move away from home or staying in-state.

"With family and all, I'd like to stay home so my family can watch me play some games. If that is in my best interest, then I'll do it at (Mississippi) State or Ole Miss. If I need to go off, then I'll go off," he said. "I need to find the best thing for me and my future."

Harris is the No. 115 ranked player in the class of 2008.