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Notes: Family converges to watch Cats

Eight Pollittes Meet to watch their Cats

NEW ORLEANS — Besides advancing two teams to region sites of the NCAA Tournament, the first- and second-round games here this week served another purpose.

"An impromptu family reunion," said Wes Pollitte, one of eight Pollittes who gathered at The New Orleans Arena to watch Kentucky play.

The Pollittes traced their roots to a 19th-century family farm near Maysville. Family members came to New Orleans from Michigan, Texas, Tennessee and Mississippi.

Although they saw Kentucky look sharp in beating East Tennessee State Thursday night, the Pollitte found the experience unsettling.

"We were disappointed," Vic Pollitte said of the many empty seats in The New Orleans Arena. "Because we can't get tickets in Rupp Arena. There's no seats available.

"Here, we looked up and, gollee, only 60 percent of the seats are filled."

Pollitte, a native of Harlan and a pilot for American Airlines, speculated on why so few UK fans came here.

"Everybody thought Kentucky was going to Milwaukee," he said of another first- and second-round site. "Everybody predicted that. Then it was New Orleans on Sunday night."

Pollitte and his wife, Marilyn, who wore a blue-and-white boa and blue wig to UK's game against Wake Forest Saturday night, drove eight hours from Dallas. Brother Jonathan came from Tennessee. Cousins Wes and Robert came from Mississippi and Michigan, respectively. George and Bobbi Pollitte, the parents of Vic, Jonathan and Todd, came from Harlan.

To help boost the crowd Thursday night, Vic said he gave away some of his 14-ticket allotment to two Notre Dame fans and two "Kentucky old ladies" that he suspected were being taken advantage of by scalpers.

In cheering for Kentucky, the Pollittes were following the example of the late William Pollitte. "Uncle Bill," who attended high school with former UK star Wallace "Wah Wah" Jones, did not leave UK behind when he went to Michigan in the 1950s to work in the auto industry. He continued to root for the Cats and immortalized his status as a Kentucky fan by having the UK logo carved into his tombstone.

When asked why Uncle Bill was such a rabid Kentucky fan, Marilyn had an simple explanation: "He was from Harlan."

Cousins shrugs

Wake Forest center Chas McFarland repeatedly tried — and repeatedly failed — to rattle UK big man DeMarcus Cousins.

In the pre-game introduction of starting lineups. As Cousins approached McFarland at center court and extended a hand, the Wake Forest center walked away.

"C'mon, that's a middle school move, man," Cousins said in dismissing McFarland's snub. "C'mon."

During the game, McFarland tried verbal and physical means to rattle Cousins.

"To be honest, he's a terrible trash talker," Cousins said. "I mean, that was the worst job I've seen in my life. He just kept saying the same thing over and over. Come with a momma joke or something."

Late in the game, McFarland flailed his arms at Cousins, knocking the UK big man to the floor. No damage was done, although Calipari chastised Cousins for smiling broadly when he got up and gesturing for the crowd to cheer louder.

When asked how difficult it was to keep his cool, Cousins said, "Not tough at all."

Play of the game

The highlight play of the game may have been the driving dunk by Eric Bledsoe, He faked a three-point shot, then drove for a high-flying dunk.

"That surprised everybody," Cousins said. "That's the Eric I know from high school and the summertime. I hadn't seen that in a long time."

Bledsoe wasn't done. After retreating downcourt, he intercepted a pass and drove to layup in traffic.

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