ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio men’s basketball team was tabbed as the favorite to win the Mid-American Conference East Division and to repeat as tournament champions in a vote by a 24-member media panel announced Thursday.

In addition, sophomore point guard D.J. Cooper was picked to the preseason All-MAC East Division team.

The Bobcats, who return three starters from last year’s tournament champion team, received 128 points and were followed by Kent State with 114 points and Akron with 104 points in the East Division.

Half of the voters picked Ohio to win the East Division, while Kent State and Akron received eight and four first-place votes, respectively.

Ohio was picked on 10 ballots to win the MAC tournament championship, with Kent State being picked by six voters.

Central Michigan earned four votes to win the MAC tournament, with Ball State and Akron each being selected on two ballots.

The Cardinals edged the Chippewas for the top spot in the West Division standings, 124-122, with a 12-8 advantage in first-place votes. Eastern Michigan and Northern Illinois also received two first-place votes each in the division.

Taking the three through six spots in the West Division were Eastern Michigan, 88 points; Western Michigan, 68 points; Northern Illinois, 64 points; and Toledo, 38 points.

The bottom three teams in the East Division were Miami, 84 points; Bowling Green, 42 points; and Buffalo, 32 points.

Four forwards join Cooper on the All-MAC East preseason team: Akron’s Brett McKnight, Bowling Green’s Scott Thomas, Kent State’s Justin Greene and Miami’s Julian Mavunga.

Forwards Jarrod Jones of Ball State, Brandon Bowdry of Eastern Michigan and Fienard Whitfield were named to the West Division team, along with guards Xavier Silas of Northern Illinois and Central Michigan freshman Trey Zeigler.

Cooper, the MAC Freshman of the Year and an honorable mention selection to the All-MAC team for 2009-10, averaged 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and a MAC-leading 5.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

Ohio went 22-15 last season with a 7-9 mark in the MAC, but it caught fire winning four straight games to capture the MAC tournament title and then upset Georgetown in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bobcats open the preseason at 2 p.m. Sunday against Wooster in the Convo. They play their first regular season game at 2 p.m. Nov. 13 against Delaware in the Convo.