Top-seeded Ottawa High has been rolling through its boys basketball season heading into the Baldwin Tournament today — just the opposite of its first-round opponent, the host Bulldogs.

The Cyclones (9-1) have won eight straight, including a 78-32 thumping of Baldwin on Jan. 3. The closest Ottawa has come to losing during the past month was Friday’s 80-73 win against Atchison. With an offense that averages 80.8 points per game, the Cyclones can usually run a team out of the gym.

Don’t expect that tonight.

“Bottom line is, it’s their tournament, and no matter how much you tell kids to prepare, it’s tough,” Ottawa coach David Grover said. “I’m personally looking for a really good game.”

The Bulldogs (2-9) have lost three straight, but have improved ever since their loss to Ottawa. Even Saturday’s 57-48 loss to Riley County wasn’t bad considering the Falcons (7-0) are the top-ranked team in Class 3A.

“The problem here has been absenteeism,” Baldwin coach Jeff Haas said. “I can count on one hand the number of days we’ve had the whole team here.

“If they kept statistics on that kind of thing, I’m sure we’d be approaching a state record on absenteeism.”

Two things could work in Baldwin’s favor.

Junior Andy Hannon might be the area’s top player, averaging 19 points, four rebounds and four assists per game, and he leads the Bulldogs in steals and blocks.

And because Baldwin is the host, Haas expects a raucous crowd to unnerve the Cyclones. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. in the junior high gym.

“We love to play at home,” Haas said. “When our crowd is on top of things, the decibel level here is much higher than any other place I’ve been around, whether it’s 5A, 6A, whatever. We’ve got a great crowd.”

Still, Ottawa is loaded with talent.

The Cyclones, ranked fourth in Class 4A, have 6-foot-9 senior Ross Thompson, who averages 21 points and 10 rebounds per game, and junior Lee Baldwin adds 16.5 points. Ottawa shoots 40 percent from three-point range and better than 60 percent from inside the arc.

Still, Grover is leery.

“Good shooting can cover up so many things,” Grover said. “The interesting thing will be what happens when we don’t shoot well.”

The winner advances to Friday’s semifinals against the Anderson County-Lincoln Prep winner.

Mill Valley comes in as the No. 2 seed, after two years of playing in the Basehor-Linwood Tournament. The Jaguars (7-1) are riding a six-game winning streak, including a 63-54 victory at Lansing on Friday. They’ll play Wellsville (4-5), a squad the Jaguars never have played, at 7:30 p.m. in the high school gym. The winner plays the victor of tonight’s Augusta-KC Turner game.

McLouth Tournament

The host Bulldogs play Topeka Heritage Christian (5-4) at 7:30 tonight. McLouth (4-4) is coming off a 78-63 loss to Troy.

The winner plays either top-seeded Topeka Cair Paravel (7-3) or Jefferson County North (2-6) in Friday’s semifinals.

Perry-Lecompton (2-6) opens with Effingham at 6 p.m. The Kaws lost 61-41 to KC-Piper on Friday, but hope to regain their defensive composure against the Tigers (6-3). Perry hadn’t allowed more than 45 points in its last five games before Friday’s loss.

The winner plays Valley Falls (5-3) or Shawnee Maranatha (2-3) at 7:30 p.m. Friday.