Big Ten Tournament 2012: Cody Zeller and Players on MVP Watch

The Big Ten tournament has had some great moments in its long history. A player like Indiana’s Cody Zeller can continue those great moments by having a big tournament this year. 

These players all have a phenomenal chance at being named the Big Ten Tournament’s most valuable player. 

Cody Zeller, Indiana Hoosiers

Zeller was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year as he led the Hoosiers to their first 20-win season since the 2007 campaign. Before this year, Indiana was in the midst of three seasons where they didn’t win more than 12 games. 

Zeller led the Hoosiers in scoring, averaging 15.4 points per game; rebounds, averaging 6.4 per game; blocks, averaging 1.3 per game; and field goal percentage, averaging .635. 

Basically, if Zeller had a good game, Indiana more than likely had a great chance of winning. 

If Zeller can keep up with his averages from the regular season, the Hoosiers will win their first Big Ten Tournament championship, and he will be named the MVP of the tournament. 

Draymond Green, Michigan State Spartans

Green recently was named the Big Ten Player of the Year after posting an amazing stat line of 16.2 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game and a .450 field goal percentage, all the while averaging 33.1 minutes per game. 

Green was a huge reason why Michigan State went from an unranked team to begin the season to a top-10 team and the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. 

Green had some of the best games of his 2011 season against Big Ten competition. He posted a season high in points, scoring 29, against Indiana. He notched a season high in assists when he dished out seven in two games versus Purdue.

By being named the Big Ten Player of the Year and All-Big Ten First Team, he is the favorite to take home MVP honors at the end of the tournament. 

Jared Sullinger, Ohio State Buckeyes

Out of the two other players named above, Sullinger has the most hype surrounding him coming into this tournament. Before the season, Sullinger was named a unanimous pick by the 65-member national media panel as a preseason All-American. 

Sullinger backed up the preseason hype by leading the Buckeyes to a 25-6 record and a share of the Big Ten regular season title. Sullinger was the Buckeyes' leading scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game, and leading rebounder, grabbing 9.3 boards per game. 

Sullinger comes into this Big Ten Tournament after two huge games to end the Buckeyes' regular season where he scored 36 total points and grabbed 28 rebounds. 

If Sullinger can continue this dominant play, he will grab MVP honors while leading Ohio State to the Big Ten Tournament championship.

Any one of these three players can play three or four great games. However, whoever leads their team to a championship will be named the MVP of the Big Ten Tournament. 

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