Fast facts

Unlike in the past, all 13 Mid-American Conference teams qualify for the tournament, a departure form the eight qualifiers of recent seasons. First-round games are played on campus at the home of the higher-seeded teams, starting Wednesday. The quarterfinals (March 5), semifinals (March 6) and championship game (March 8) are set for the Gund Arena in Cleveland.

The favorite

Bowling Green held off more-heralded Kent and Akron to win the regular-season East Division title. Despite featuring just one star player, Anthony Stacey, the Falcons got consistent play from center Len Mattela, guard Trent Jackson, guard Dave Esterkamp and a variety of role players who know how to play defense and shoot free throws.

Still, defending tournament champion Kent is battle tested. And Akron was the preseason favorite and has enough firepower to win the tournament, especially since it is the closest thing to a home team, located just 40 minutes from Cleveland.

The Dark Horse

Marshall features as talented a starting five as anyone in the MAC, with two NBA prospects in J.R. VanHoose and Tamar Slay. If the Thundering Herd can find enough depth, its chances are legitimate. Ball State won the MAC West but would have finished fifth in the MAC East. Toledo is hot, having won 10 straight conference games.

The Stars

NBA scouts will flock to this tournament, which features underclassmen Slay and VanHoose along with a talented senior class headed by Stacey, Northern Illinois' T.J. Lux, Ohio's Shaun Stonerook and Toledo's Greg Stempin, all big men who can score and rebound.

Akron's Jami Bosley and Jimmal Ball and Ball State's Duane Clemons are quick guards who bear watching. Central Michigan's David Webber is a terrific player on a bad team, as is Western Michigan's Tony Barksdale.

Who's hot

Toledo has been unbeatable since getting Greg Stempin back from an elbow injury three games ago. The Rockets are the team nobody wants to play. Bowling Green simply gets the job done whether at home or on the road.

Players who are on a roll include Stacey, VanHoose, Slay and Ohio's Dustin Ford.

Recent History

The teams favored to win the MAC Tournament rarely do. Kent won it last season, upsetting top-seeded Miami, although the RedHawks advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

Ball State was favored in 1998, but Eastern Michigan won. A year earlier, Eastern Michigan was favored and Miami won.

Tidbits

No team has repeated as champion since Ball State in 1989 and 1990. … Last year's tournament most valuable player, Kent center John Whorton, returns but is overshadowed by the league's other stars. … Miami has reached the finals the past three years. … Three players from last year's all-MAC Tournament team, Whorton, Stacey and Kent's Kyrem Massey are back this season. ... The tournament moved to Cleveland this year, along with the league offices, in hopes of gaining greater exposure. ... Marshall never has been host to a MAC Tournament game until this season. ... Ball State has won more MAC Tournament titles (6) than any other school. The Cardinals are a league-best 28-12 in MAC Tournament games.

Who's headed to the Dance

If all goes well, the MAC figures to land at least two teams in the NCAA Tournament. Of course, the league champion earns an automatic berth. Bowling Green, Kent and Ball State all figure to be strong contenders for an at-large bid if they don't win the tournament. The NIT is interested in several other MAC teams, including Marshall, Ohio, Akron and Toledo.