Kansas University coach Bill Self jovially answers questions during a news conference. The Jayhawks, who crushed Portland State, 85-61, in the NCAA Tournament's first round, will play UNLV at 5:50 p.m. today.

Omaha, Neb. ? Kansas University’s basketball players sat in the Qwest Center stands and watched in amazement as UNLV held Kent State to 10 points in the first half of Thursday’s first-round NCAA Midwest Regional rout of the Golden Flashes.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. They were making me tired just seeing how hard they were playing,” KU senior forward Darnell Jackson said Friday.

“They pressure so hard. There are bodies scattered all over the court. They are fearless,” he added of the Runnin’ Rebels, who outscored the Golden Flashes, 31-10, the first half en route to a 71-58 victory.

The victory pushed the eighth-seeded Rebels’ record to 27-7 entering today’s 5:50 p.m., second-round clash against No. 1 seed KU (32-3).

“I think they are on a mission,” KU sophomore forward Darrell Arthur said of the Rebels, a factor in the 2008 NCAAs despite losing four starters off last year’s Sweet 16 team.

“They got their confidence up yesterday. They held Kent State to 17-percent shooting (actually 20.8) and forced 17 turnovers the first half. It was pretty impressive,” Arthur added.

KU’s chances of advancing to Friday’s round of 16 in Detroit figure to be enhanced greatly if the 6-foot-9 Arthur and KU’s three other inside players have big games.

UNLV’s tallest starter is 6-foot-7 junior Joe Darger. The Rebels’ tallest player on their 10-man roster is 6-8 Matt Shaw.

“Coach (Bill Self) said we need to get the ball inside and have an inside presence,” Arthur said.

Senior Sasha Kaun, who stands 6-11, will try to make that happen in his minutes off the bench.

“If we get the ball down low, it will help our guards because it will suck the defense in, and we can kick it out for easy shots,” Kaun said. “I think it’s going to be tough on us in terms of guarding them because their big men can really shoot it. As long as we work together as a team and play together and talk on defense, we can definitely do some damage inside on offense.”

Of course, the Jayhawks to a certain extent try to break down their opponents playing through their big men every game.

“All season long we’ve been able to work inside-out,” senior guard Russell Robinson said. “We have to get it inside to the rim and hit open shots, do what we’ve been doing all year.”

Arthur said he thought the Rebels played a lot like Texas, a team KU split with this season.

Robinson said the makeup of the UNLV roster, in terms of size, reminded him of Missouri, a team KU swept.

“They are athletic like that,” Robinson said. “The biggest thing to me is they are not real big, but make up for it with quickness.”

As far as the coaches’ takes … Self believes Vegas’ lineup, which features players from 6-foot to 6-7, will provide a stern test. Guards Wink Adams and Curtis Terry average 16.6 and 11.1 points, respectively, while forward Darger checks in at 11.4 ppg.

“They are unique because they are smaller, but play much bigger,” Self said. “It’s a unique challenge.”

UNLV is second in the country in three-point field-goal percentage defense (30.7 percent).

“I don’t know that we’ve played anybody that defends or are in the right spots or positions better than what I saw UNLV do against Kent State,” Self said. “They totally took Kent State out of their offensive sets before they even crossed halfcourt with their positioning playing so high on the floor. Their pieces are interchangeable defensively because they can switch ball screens.

“We’re bigger, but you have to get the ball in the scoring area. To do that you have to be able to eliminate pressure. If you get the ball in the scoring area, maybe you have a chance to throw it inside. But yesterday their pressure was so good Kent State didn’t have a chance.”

Rebels’ coach Lon Kruger was asked repeatedly about KU’s size advantage.

“Kansas is a different animal. They are bigger and more athletic and deeper than most teams in the country,” Kruger said. “We’ve met the ball early, and starting position has been important to us (in going against taller teams). Our guys have done a good job with that, not only on the perimeter, but the post.”

Xs and Os do mean something. But at this stage of the season, intangibles also are huge.

The Rebels, who stopped a 2-seed in Wisconsin last season in Chicago, are trying to pull a stunner for the second straight year.

KU’s seniors, who won four straight regular-season Big 12 titles and three postseason league tourney crowns, desperately want a Final Four.

“At this stage of the year every game is tough. Every team is a challenge,” Jackson said. “It is going to come down to the final possession (today), who wants it more. I know we will play with intensity just like they will.”

“All we care about now is winning and advancing,” junior Brandon Rush said. “We know UNLV is good, just like Portland State was good (KU defeated the Vikings 85-61 Thursday). We’ll be ready to play.”