If Albert Pujols can put up the numbers that he has, with a torn ligament and bone spurs in his right elbow, really, how great of a hitter is he? My thought, if I’m Pujols, I have Tommy John surgery now. I don’t think the Cardinals have a shot at the World Series this year. However, if Pujols can put up numbers similar to last year with, again, a torn ligament in his elbow and bone spurs, is it worth it for him to continue playing? Or, should he try to preserve the years he has down the line? It’s an interesting question and my only thought is that if we lose Pujols too early, it will be sad, as I think he is on the path to becoming the greatest hitter of all-time. I sincerely mean that.

Last night’s UCLA/Stanford game was by all accounts, an epic one. I will admit that I fell asleep, not because of boredom, at the ten minute mark of the first half. Here is what I saw and what I understand happened from that game:

Saw:
-Robin Lopez outshine everybody on the court including his future lottery pick brother and a guy who I think should be a lottery pick in Kevin Love.
-When UCLA is cold shooting the ball(as they were in the first half of the first half) they’re not very good. That’s sort of the case for everybody, except UCLA is already slightly offensively challenged in my opinion. I think this might be their fatal flaw.
-Lorenzo Mata-Real actually impress me. Mata-Real, who I’ve previously criticized in this space, neutralized the brothers Lopez with his solid defense. I’ve said before, I think he’s the key to this team’s success. If he can give a low-post defensive effort in the tournament, like he did last night, UCLA will have a fighter’s chance against UNC and Memphis.

Understood Happened:
-UCLA got a ton of bad calls against them down the stretch.
-Stanford got an enormously bad call against them with 2.5 seconds left that led to UCLA’s tying the game and sending it to OT.
-UCLA dominated the OT period.
-Darren Collison stepped his game up in the second half/OT.

Darren Collison, taking into account his ability and potential, may be the most inconsistent player in the Pac-10, not named Chase Budinger.

Conclusion: As much as I like watching UCLA and I do root for them, I’m beginning to rethink their making it to the final four. In my bracket from earlier this week, I think the only team in their region that can beat them is Georgetown. However, I sadly do not make the brackets, and if you look at a potential second round upset, a number 8/9 seed that scares me, if I’m UCLA, would be a team like Saint Mary’s that has size and can push the ball. I’m just saying, I’m a little concerned about UCLA.

Duke and Carolina play tomorrow night. 9 p.m. You know what you should be doing.

I asked for a comment from any reader in yesterday’s post and got nothing, therefore you will not get my Top 5 QBs heading into the NFL draft. Sad too, because it was a good list.

Here, though, are my top 5 running backs in the NFL Draft, based on who I believe will have the most success in the NFL. Starting at number 5:

5. Justin Forsett (Cal)- Forsett isn’t going to blow anyone away with his size (5’8” 190 LB). It’s unlikely that he’ll be an every down back in the NFL, however, he could be a huge help in the screen game to a team that likes to throw the ball to backs on screen plays. He catches the ball very well and could also contribute on special teams. Ideal Team: Seattle Seahawks. The ‘Hawks throw the ball a ton and don’t have a particularly good pass catching back on their team. I think Forsett would fit in well.

4. Jamaal Charles (Texas)- Elusive (ran a 4.37-40). Good size (6’1” 200+). Very underrated blocker at Texas. The big concerns about Charles are his ball handling skills. That’s easily fixed in the NFL. Ask Tiki Barber. Is Charles a feature back in all systems? Probably not. Would he be one of the best 3rd down backs in the NFL? I absolutely believe so. He would be a great backfield piece for a team with a bruiser as a feature back, like Allen Bradshaw is with the Giants. Ideal Team: San Francisco 49ers. I think matching him with Frank Gore would do wonders for the Niners running game. He would also be good camp competition for the newly acquired DeShaun Foster.

3. Mike Hart (Michigan)
2. Ray Rice (Rutgers)- They’re so similar, they belong together. They’re both shorter, broad backs. (Both are 5’9”, 200 LB). They were both workhorses in college. They were both insanely productive in college. Most scouts believe that they’re both too small and too “beat up” from all the work they did in college. They also lack “breakaway speed.” I never buy into that talk. The one thing that seperates Hart and Rice from guys ranked higher, like Rashard Mendenhall and Jonathan Stewart is that they’ve done it at the highest level for years. I think both have better game speed than scouts give them credit for and I think both will be very good backs in the NFL. Ideal Team: The Patriots. Veteran guys on a veteran team who could spell Laurence Maroney and fill in if he got hurt. They’ll both be 3rd or 4th round picks. They’ll both be steals.

You’re probably thinking, “Wait, you said that Darren McFadden wasn’t going to be ranked number 1.” I know.

1. Felix Jones (Arkansas)-Jones was McFadden’s teammate at Arkansas and unlike the combo of Ronnie Brown and Carnell Williams at Auburn from a few years back, Jones and McFadden didn’t split carries, so Jones is fresh. He also runs a 4.4 40-yard dash. Scouts say he doesn’t have the power to push the line and while he can set himself well and pick up blitzes that he may not be strong enough to block NFL linebackers. Here’s why I think he’s the best running back prospect in this draft: He’s a young, seasoned runner, without a lot of wear and tear with breakaway speed who doesn’t have character issues (like McFadden). He can put on the weight that scouts think he needs to add some power to his game. Jones will be an early second round steal for the teams that passed on McFadden. Most prognosticators see him as a late first round pick, but I have a feeling that he’s going to be looked over because he wasn’t a feature back. Ideal Team: Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons would be wise to pass on McFadden if he’s available, which I think he will be, and draft his college teammate in the second round at pick 37.

Game O’ The Day: Utah @ Phoenix. The Suns really need to get on track and this would be the time to do it and the team to do it against, because I think the Jazz are a contender in the West. A Suns victory tonight would do wonders for their confidence. Another loss and they’ll slip further down the Western Conference standings, which they can’t afford to do.