Kevan Barlow, former Pitt running back and local high school player, is out of a job and maybe out of football for good. His season was u-g-l-y.

Kevan Barlow‘s tenure as the successor to Curtis Martin lasted a season.

The New York Jets released the veteran running back yesterday after the least-productive season of Barlow’s career. He ran for a career-low 370 yards — third on the team — and averaged just 2.8 yards per carry.

Barlow, a former Pitt and Peabody High School player, was acquired from San Francisco in August to jump-start a running game that was without an injured Martin. Instead, rookie Leon Washington emerged as a prime playmaker and second-year back Cedric Houston got lots of playing time late in the season.

Barlow started just three of the 12 games he played in for the Jets, although he led the team with six rushing touchdowns.

If you’ll recall, on his way out the door in San Fransisco, he lashed out against his coach and did it Nazi style.

“He walks around with a chip on his shoulder, like he’s a dictator, like he’s Hitler,” Barlow said after he was traded. “People are scared of him. If it ain’t Nolan’s way, it’s the highway.”

Imagine if he ever said that about Wannstedt. Looking at some recent discipline for a perspective on this, I think it’s safe to say that it doesn’t matter if Barlow was across the world — Wanny would find him and punish him with an iron brass knuckled fist.

(Much credit to Mondesi’s House for the links.)

By the way, I can’t help but feel very excited for the game on Saturday against Georgetown. It should be a good one.

Aaron Gray didn’t practice yesterday. But then there was no practice yesterday.

Some of the players spent the normal practice time yesterday at Petersen Events Center anyway, holding personal shoot-arounds or lifting weights.

Coach Jamie Dixon is at least publicly indicating Gray is at best 50-50 for Saturday (Insider subs.).

“The swelling didn’t go down that much,” Dixon said Tuesday. “They were still telling me Sunday he would play Monday but I wasn’t so sure. I am worried about Saturday.”

If Gray can’t go then the Hoyas will have a clear advantage in the post, especially with the way center Roy Hibbert has turned-up his game on of late, save the win at Villanova last Saturday. In the three previous games — all wins — Hibbert had 20 points and 11 boards at Louisville, 23 points and 11 rebounds over Marquette and 20 and six boards in a win over West Virginia. Hibbert scored 11 points and had two boards in the five-point loss at Pitt while Gray scored 11 points and had four rebounds, essentially negating each other.

There is no doubt Pitt needs Gray to have a good chance against Georgetown. To be honest, though, the guy who most worries me for this game is Jeff Green.