Big Ten Tournament 2012 Schedule: Players Guaranteed to Dominate in Indianapolis

The 2012 Big Ten Tournament kicks off on Thursday and you can bet that the top-notch players will not disappoint.

They've worked hard to get this far and their success on the court will continue on the big stage. 

There is no clear-cut favorite in this tournament, which means the star players all have to perform at a high level to ensure their team is the one that walks aways with the ultimate prize.

That being said, here are three players guaranteed to dominate in the 2012 Big Ten Tournament. 

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State 

The Buckeyes' top player is going to thrive in the big moment, taking Ohio State very far in the tournament. 

As the No. 3 seed, Ohio State has a tough road ahead, but with Sullinger leading the way the Buckeyes can definitely get the job done. 

The sophomore forward averaged 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds during the regular season and there is no doubt he will keep playing great basketball once the tournament starts. 

Draymond Green, Michigan State 

Green is a senior leader for the Spartans and after they suffered a gut-wrenching loss to end the season, he is going to put the team on his back and carry them to great success in the tournament.

Michigan State had a chance to win the regular season Big Ten title, but a loss to Ohio State in the final game of the year ruined it all. Because of that, Green is going to step up and make sure the Spartans excel this weekend. 

As the No. 1 seed, Michigan State has the best path to the finals and Green will make sure it happens. He averaged 16.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this year and his dominant play will only be amped up for the tournament, which doesn't bode well for the rest for the Big Ten. 

Cody Zeller, Indiana 

Despite being a freshman, Zeller is going to do big things in this tournament. The Hoosiers are the No. 5 seed, so their road to the finals is much more difficult than others. 

All this means is that Zeller has to step up more for Indiana, and that will happen. He averaged 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds during the year, but he is definitely capable of going off for much bigger performances. 

Indiana needs him to do that and since he's playing front of the home crowd (he was born about two hours outside of Indianapolis), Zeller will dominate for his fans, leading the Hoosiers to a surprise victory or two. 

Full Schedule (via Big Ten website, all times ET)

Thursday, March 8th

Game 1: No. 8 Iowa vs. No. 9 Illinois, 11:30 a.m., BTN

Game 2: No. 5 Indiana vs. No. 12 Penn State, 25 minutes following Game 1 conclusion, BTN

Game 3: No. 7 Northwestern vs. No. 10 Minnesota, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2

Game 4: No. 6 Purdue vs. No. 11 Nebraska, 25 minutes following Game 3 conclusion, ESPN2

Friday, March 9th

Game 5: No. 1 Michigan State vs. Game 1 Winner, Noon, ESPN

Game 6: No. 4 Wisconsin vs. Game 2 Winner, 25 minutes following Game 5 conclusion, ESPN

Game 7: No. 2 Michigan vs. Game 3 Winner, 6:30 p.m., BTN

Game 8: No. 3 Ohio State vs. Game 4 Winner, 25 minutes following Game 7 conclusion, BTN

Saturday, March 10th

Game 9: Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 1:40 p.m., CBS Sports

Game 10: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 25 minutes following Game 9 conclusion, CBS Sports

Sunday, March 11th

Game 11: Tournament Championship, 3:30 p.m., CBS Sports