Following in the footsteps of his siblings, Roger O’Neill has become a standout student-athlete at Meadowdale High School.
This basketball season O’Neill emerged as one of the area’s top players. Averaging 17.4 points per game, he helped the Mavericks (18-4) earn a share of the Western Conference South Division title. O’Neill, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, scored 11 points Wednesday in Meadowdale’s first-round Class 3A District 1 tournament victory over Everett. Next up for O’Neill and the Mavs is a district semifinal game against Ferndale at 6 p.m. Saturday in Mount Vernon.
During an interview last week, O’Neill talked about how he improved so much between his junior and senior seasons, his decision to play hoops for Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, and the impact his siblings — including Seattle Storm guard Kristen O’Neill — had on him. (He was wearing socks with the WNBA logo, in honor of Kristen.)
Q: How did you improve so much between the 2007-08 and 2008-09 basketball seasons?
A: “I had already made a commitment to my select baseball team for the summer but I took every opportunity besides that to get in the gym and work hard. I saw (former teammate) Paul Werner did that last season and drastically improved. I thought I could do it too.”
O’Neill said he shot every day, hoisting as many as 350 shots per session. A role change helped him too: Meadowdale graduated nine seniors from its 2007-08 squad, which automatically made O’Neill (who averages four rebounds and three assists) a more prominent contributor this season.
Q: What skills have you added on offense?
A: “Especially last year I’d still post up people because I was an oversized guard, but I wasn’t that comfortable shooting the 3-ball or a pull-up jump shot. I’ve become more comfortable with that. It really helps to have a bunch of things in your arsenal that you can use.”
Despite his success, O’Neill, who is shooting 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range, is driven to get better. “I can always work on stuff. I’m not perfect by any means,” said O’Neill, who wants to hone his 3-point accuracy and consistently make 5- to 10-foot jump hooks.
Q: Why did you verbally commit to play basketball for Saint Martin’s?
A: “My brother Richard played baseball there so I am familiar with the campus and school, and I knew (former Meadowdale hoops star) Jake Linton went there.”
Q: Why did you choose basketball over baseball?
A: “I always liked basketball better but I thought maybe my future had a better chance in baseball,” said O’Neill, a pitcher/catcher/first baseman. “But then I just decided to do what I wanted to do. Once I improved my game in basketball and I was able to get the opportunity at Saint Martin’s, it was a no-brainer.”
Although he’ll stick with hoops after high school, O’Neill will play baseball this spring for Meadowdale, which placed fourth in the Class 3A state tournament the past two years. Asked how it will feel to play his final baseball games, he said: “It’s probably going to hit home a little harder when the season starts. We’ll try and make it back to Safeco for a third year. We have a really good pitching staff back again and three seniors who have been on varsity since we were freshmen.”
Q: What impact did your sisters Kristen and Kellie — who both played at Meadowdale and the University of Washington — have on you?
A: “I grew up in the gym and I always went to their games. I was always into it. They lost in the state championship in 1999 and I cried after that game.
“All of my siblings have inspired me with their hard work and their dedication, showing that you can’t just live off natural talent to get where you want to be. You have to work for it.”
Q: Do you ever play one-on-one against Kristen? How does it go?
A: “We play a lot, but not much the past six months because she’s been busy playing in Ireland and for the Storm. I didn’t start beating her until my junior year. But she can still beat me in H-O-R-S-E.”
Kristen O’Neill is currently on the Storm’s training camp roster. Last year she signed a seven-day contract with Seattle on July 1 and stayed with the team through the season. Said Roger O’Neill: “It was really cool to see her out there with Sheryl Swoopes and Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird. She didn’t get to play that much but I don’t think she cared. She was having the time of her life out there.”
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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