Big Ten Tournament 2012: Underrated Players Who Will Step Up in Quarterfinals

After a first round that featured plenty of drama, including a thrilling overtime victory for Minnesota over Northwestern, the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals are set to take place today. The top four seeds will see their first action after having a bye.

Here are three players who don't get the respect they deserve, but will step up to earn some on Friday.

Brandon Wood (Michigan State)

Without Branden Dawson, Michigan State will need another perimeter threat to emerge. Wood averaged eight points during the regular season and is one of the Spartans' biggest threats to light it up from beyond the arc.

He was only playing around 26 minutes per game, but that number should increase moving forward. The senior never seemed to find a rhythm after being shifted into the sixth man role around midseason, so a move back into the starting lineup should give him a spark.

The Spartans should run a couple of plays for him early to get him on track because he's going to be a vital part of their run.

Evan Smotrycz (Michigan)

When talking about Michigan, the focus tends to stay on Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. The duo is averaging over 29 points, so the spotlight is warranted, but they wouldn't be as effective without Smotrycz stretching the floor.

Even though the sophomore forward is only averaging eight points and four rebounds, when you consider he's playing far fewer minutes than the team's big names, those numbers are actually quite impressive. He's also a matchup problem because he can knock down deep jumpers.

The Wolverines will be facing a Minnesota squad coming off an emotional win. That means a quick start is essential, so don't be surprised if Smotrycz sets the tone early.

Aaron Craft (Ohio State)

The Buckeyes have three players averaging more than 15 points, so it's not a major shock that Craft tends to get lost in the shuffle. That said, without him Ohio State wouldn't have had such a successful season.

Not only is he an efficient contributor on the offensive end (50 percent from the field), but he's one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. He's often able to neutralize an opponent's top scoring threat, which is a thankless task.

Purdue is no push over, so Ohio State will need to shake off any rust pretty quickly. However, as long as Craft keeps playing at a high level, the Buckeyes should be just fine.