‘Blood is thicker than purple’

SEATTLE — Kellie Dalan is a diehard Husky.

She grew up in Edmonds, played basketball at the University of Washington — when her name was Kellie O’Neill — met her future husband there, and helped lure younger sister Kristen to the UW women’s basketball program.

So when Dalan returns to Hec Edmundson Pavilion tonight for the UW men’s exhibition game against St. Martin’s, she’ll predictably be decked out in … St. Martin’s red.

“Blood,” said Roger O’Neill, Kellie’s younger brother and a St. Martin’s guard, “is thicker than purple.”

The O’Neill family will be in a rare position tonight when one of their own goes against the Huskies. UW plays host to St. Martin’s in an exhibition game that will mark the unofficial debut of the 2010-11 Husky men.

Half of Rich and Tina O’Neill’s four children played basketball at UW, so they’ve seen plenty of games at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. They just haven’t had to root against the home team.

“I think it’s going to be strange — on many fronts,” Tina O’Neill said. “We’re big Husky fans and very big fans of both men’s and women’s basketball. So we’re always rooting for the Huskies to do well. In this particular situation, there’s an exception. You’ve got to root for your son — otherwise, there’s something wrong.”

Roger O’Neill grew up a Huskies fan, in part because of proximity but also because both of his sisters played for the UW women’s team. He still hasn’t gotten the purple out of his blood, as evidenced by his biggest regret about tonight’s game.

“I’m actually a little disappointed because I want to be able to watch the Oregon (football) game (against the Huskies this afternoon),” said O’Neill, who followed in his sisters’ footsteps at Meadowdale High School. The youngest O’Neill — Roger is nine years younger than 29-year-old Kellie and also has two older siblings in Kristen, 27, and Richard Jr., a former St. Martin’s baseball player who turns 26 later this month — remembers being on the court at Hec Ed after his sisters’ games. When he was 9 years old, and Kellie was a freshman at UW, he looked around and imagined what it might be like to one day play there.

Tonight will mark the first time he’ll get a chance.

“I can’t tell you how many games I sat behind the scorer’s table there,” he said. “I’ve been there for a lot of men’s games, too, and it’s always rocking. It’s going to be fun playing there.”

If Roger O’Neill could map out how the 2011 NCAA tournament would unfold, the Huskies would be wearing championship hats next April. But that doesn’t mean he won’t give them his best shot tonight.

“It’s not like I put them on a pedestal,” he said. “I’m not going to be out there asking for autographs.”

On paper, the Huskies might be deserving of idol status today. They’re coming off a trip to the Sweet 16, return four starters, have been picked to win the Pac-10 Conference and are ranked 18th in the country.

The only key contributor not expected to play for UW tonight is guard Venoy Overton, who’s slowed by a hamstring injury and won’t begin practicing until next week. The Huskies feature high-scoring guard Isaiah Thomas, wing Justin Holiday and a front line that will rotate 6-foot-9 Matthew Bryan-Amaning, 6-8 Darnell Gant and 7-foot junior-college transfer Aziz N’Diaye.

St. Martin’s, an NCAA Division II school located outside of Olympia, starts a 6-5 center and features six returning top scorers — none of whom are taller than 6-7.

“We’re going to go out, give it our best effort, and see what happens,” O’Neill said. “We’re not going to be pushovers. Obviously, they’re a very talented team — that’s why they’re ranked 18th in the nation. But I’m excited to see how we match up with them.”

For 11 years, Roger O’Neill has been dreaming of playing on the court at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. Tonight, with most of his family in attendance — Kristen is an assistant coach at Seattle University, which hosts an exhibition game tonight as well — the sophomore forward will finally get his chance.

“I’m a supporter of theirs,” he said of the Huskies, “but I’m putting that aside (tonight). I’m going to try to get stuff done. I’m going to go out, compete, and see what happens.”

Roger won’t be the only O’Neill with a challenge on his hands tonight.

“It will be interesting to be surrounded by purple and gold,” Tina O’Neill said, “and not be wearing purple and gold.”