Big 12 Tournament 2012 Bracket: Star Players Sure to Shine Bright in Kansas City

The 2012 Big 12 Tournament kicks off Wednesday night in Kansas City, and the elite players are going to dominate once they step foot on the court. 

The Kansas Jayhawks are the favorites to win, but there are plenty of talented teams that can give them a run for their money. If the best of the best play to their full potential, this tournament will be very exciting. 

That being said, here are three star players sure to shine bright in the 2012 Big 12 Tournament. 

Thomas Robinson, Kansas 

All of the Jayhawks are going to thrive, but Robinson will be the one that puts the team on his back to lead the way. 

At the beginning of the year, nobody knew for sure how good Kansas would be. After all, the Jayhawks lost two very good players in the Morris twins. 

Thanks to Robinson and a few others, Kansas was able to have great success this season. Averaging 18 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, Robinson will continue to do big things for Kansas. 

The Jayhawks should easily get to the finals of the tournament and it will be Robinson who gets them there. 

Marcus Denmon, Missouri 

The Tigers have perhaps the best shot at upsetting the Jayhawks, but they're going to need Denmon to perform at a very high level throughout the tournament.

This shouldn't be too difficult for him, as he excels on the court each and every game. 

Averaging 18 points on the year, Denmon is certainly capable of putting up even bigger numbers. The senior guard is the leader of the team and he'll make sure to carry the Tigers far.

As the No. 2 seed, Missouri is in a great spot to reach the finals and possibly win it all and Denmon will be the main reason the Tigers have superb success. 

Perry Jones III, Baylor 

While Jones has had his fair share of ups and downs this season, he's going to turn his play up a notch because it's tournament time. 

He averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds during the regular season, but the Big 12 Tournament is a fresh start for all, so look for Jones to perform at a higher level. 

Being the No. 1 seed, the Bears have a daunting task ahead of them. Still, winning it all is manageable, especially if the team gets on a hot streak.

It all begins with Jones, though, and once he starts to thrive, his teammates must feed off of that in order to win big. 

2012 Big 12 Tournament Bracket 

Wednesday, March 7 - 1st Round

G1 - No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Texas A&M - 7 p.m. EST - Big 12 Network

G2 - No. 11 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Texas Tech - 9:30 p.m. EST - Big 12 Network

Thursday, March 8 - Quarterfinals

G3 - No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 Kansas State - 12:30 p.m. EST - ESPN 2

G4 - No. 1 Kansas vs. G1 Winner - 3 p.m. EST - ESPN 2

G5 - No. 2 Missouri vs. G2 Winner - 7 p.m. EST - Big 12 Network

G6 - No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Texas - 9:30 p.m. EST - Big 12 Network

Friday, March 9 - Semifinals

G7 - G3 Winner vs. G4 Winner - 7:30 p.m. EST - Big 12 Network/ESPNU

G8 - G5 Winner vs. G6 Winner - 10 p.m. EST - Big 12 Network/ESPNU

Saturday, March 10 - Championship Game

G9 - G7 Winner vs. G8 Winner - 6 p.m. EST - ESPN

Prediction 

Kansas beats Missouri, 77-74