photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) strips the ball from UNLV guard Cody Doolin (45) during the first half on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Frank Mason III (0) strips the ball from UNLV guard Cody Doolin (45) during the first half on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

As far as conference tune-ups go, you really can’t ask for a much better match-up than the one the Kansas University men’s basketball team faced Sunday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.

In its last game before jumping into a grueling, 18-game Big 12 schedule, Kansas knocked off a tough, athletic and talented UNLV squad, 76-61, mixing equal parts of toughness, skill and momentum to turn back the Rebels.

The victory capped KU’s non-conference record at 11-2, which, by all accounts, is pretty solid given the difficulty of KU’s schedule. Many fans and critics will point to KU’s two blowout losses (to Kentucky and Temple) as reasons to question this team — and it certainly remains a team with plenty of questions. But, given the fact that teams like Tennessee, Georgetown, Michigan State and UNLV were on the schedule, a case could be made that Kansas easily could have more than two losses.

Quick takeaway

As I mentioned above, there are plenty of questions about this KU hoops team. The Jayhawks are still trying to find an identity, keep juggling the starting lineup, continue to lack low-post scoring and appear to be on thin ice at point guard behind Frank Mason. With all of those aspects of this team being addressed on a daily basis, the one thing that should not need addressing is effort and intensity. It appears as if the Jayhawks understand that, too. After laying an egg in that loss to Temple, KU responded with two very good high-energy games against Kent State and UNLV. Both were at home, and that always helps, but, with Big 12 play starting, I think we’ve seen the end of the days where Bill Self and his coaching staff need to remind the Jayhawks to bring it night in and night out.

Three reasons to smile

1 – It looked clear from very early in the game that Perry Ellis had plans to hit the offensive glass. And hit it Ellis did. The junior forward finished with a game-high five offensive rebounds and looked aggressive in grabbing each one. Ellis has been called out on a few occasions this season for his rebounding, but a line of 16 points and 9 boards, with five on the offensive glass, would be one KU would take every night the rest of the way.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Perry Ellis (34) comes away with an offensive rebound during the second half against UNLV on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse. Also pictured is KU guard Kelly Oubre.

2 – KU’s offensive balance was on full display. Five Jayhawks scored in double figures to hold off the Rebels, and those 72 points came in a variety of ways. From powerful dunks inside to three-point bombs from the outside, KU’s balance against Vegas was exactly the kind of display Self would like to see the rest of the way for two reasons: 1 – Because it makes the KU offense tougher to defend. 2 – Because it diminishes the chances of KU delivering a dud like Temple or Kentucky.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) has his shot stuffed by UNLV forward Goodluck Okonoboh (11) during the first half against UNLV on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

3 – Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk has not mailed it in. He played just two minutes and has only cracked 20 minutes once in the past six games, but that has not kept Mykhailiuk from playing hard when he’s out there. In those two minutes, Mykhailiuk recorded a steal, an assist, a rebound and a big-time save, all of which led to positive things for Kansas. Given his young age, it’s great to see this young man keeping his head locked in enough to contribute no matter how much or little he plays.

Three reasons to sigh

1 – KU still needs to find a way to protect the paint. With no true rim protector in the game for much of the afternoon, the long, athletic UNLV front line attacked the rim with intensity in building a four-point halftime lead. Self said Monday that KU needs Cliff Alexander to be the guy that steps up in this area, but whether that will happen in time is worth wondering about. Alexander’s long arms and general demeanor give him the right tools to play the part. But he’s still trying to figure out so much about college basketball that adding one more thing to his to-do list seems dicey.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Cliff Alexander (2) blocks a shot by UNLV guard Rashad Vaughn (1) against the backboard during the second half on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

2 – Frank Mason’s shin hurts. A bruised shin is about as good of an injury as a fan or coach could ask for from one of his team’s most important players. But it’s still not good. Mason is so important to this team that even losing him for a half could be detrimental. He’s tough. There’s no doubting that. But even tough guys can break down when they’re forced to play nearly the entire game and play it the way Mason does.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Cliff Alexander (2) battles in the paint with UNLV forward Christian Wood (5) during the first half against UNLV on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015 at Allen Fieldhouse.

3 – Sure, Cliff Alexander’s 10-point night was important, but it also was the only thing KU got from its bench. That’s not good. Self played just eight guys in this one — and two of them played fewer than 10 minutes — so the chances for KU’s bench to do something were not great. But with the Big 12 grind starting Wednesday, KU’s going to need more from its bench on a nightly basis. In short, as Self said Monday, “We need everybody.”

One for the road

KU’s 15-point victory over a tough UNLV team…

• Made Kansas 11-2 or better for the second time in the past three seasons and the eighth time in Bill Self’s 12 seasons at KU.

• Kept Kansas an undefeated 5-0 all-time versus UNLV.

• Improved KU’s record to 7-0 in home games this season and 6-0 inside Allen Fieldhouse in his 60th season of Kansas basketball.

• Extended the Jayhawks’ win streak inside the Fieldhouse to 15 straight games.

• Made Kansas 719-109 all-time inside Allen Fieldhouse, including a 181-9 home mark under Self.

• Improved Self to 336-71 while at Kansas and 543-176 overall.

• Made KU 2,137-824 all-time.

Next up

The Jayhawks will hit the road on Wednesday for their Big 12 Conference opener, 8 p.m. against Baylor in Waco, Texas. The game will be shown on ESPNU.

By the Numbers: Kansas beats UNLV, 76-61