You can tell by Scottie Haralson's thick drawl that he's born and raised in Mississippi. And yet the Provine High senior has some understanding of UConn men's basketball history.

Haralson, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, has been called a "poor man's Rashad Anderson" by at least one member of the UConn staff who has seen him play. Haralson remembers watching Anderson and admired his game.

"He played for their championship team, (and) back when Rudy Gay was playing," Haralson said. "I remember he was a good shooter, he would knock down any shot when he was open, a nice solid player for UConn. They said I'll probably get my chance at UConn."

Indeed, Haralson gave the Huskies an oral commitment late Friday night and hopes to step right in next fall and give the team the consistent long-range bomber it currently lacks.

"Really just the love they've shown for me," he said, when asked why he chose UConn over Old Dominion, Penn State, Auburn, New Orleans and Nebraska. "To have them come in and contribute early as a freshman. They told me that they didn't have that many shooters, that they were last in 3-point shooting in the conference, and they really needed a shooter."

And make no mistake, that's exactly what Haralson is.

"The best thing I do is shoot," he said "and just play solid and smart."

Haralson is averaging about 25 points per game as a senior at Provine. He scored 31 when UConn assistant coach Patrick Sellers came to watch him play recently, and 34 in a game taken in by UConn assistant Andre LaFleur.

Haralson boasts a 3.75 grade-point average and has scored "around an 18 or 19" on his ACT. He's not concerned about the cold weather up north ("I think I can get used to it") or the NCAA moving back the 3-point line next season.

"I can pretty much shoot at any range, so that won't be a problem for me," he said.

Haralson hopes to make an official visit to UConn once his high school season ends.