Houston Basketball: 3 keys to victory for Cougars vs. Duke in Sweet 16 matchup

2. Stay out of foul trouble

This almost sent Houston home Sunday night. The ability to play aggressively without fouling is a trait that many college players are still learning. Houston is usually one of the better teams at this. However, against Texas A&M, they almost beat themselves.

 Houston fouled out four out of five starters. Their three leading scorers, Cryer, Shead, and Sharp, all fouled out. Houston committed a total of 28 fouls in their win over the Aggies. 41 fouls over their first two games in the NCAA Tournament. 

Duke shoots 72% from the free-throw line as a team, which is extremely effective, and they average 14.6 free throws per game. The fact of the matter is that if Houston sends Duke to the line at a high rate, they could very well get upset in this game. It is crucial that Houston play team defense without putting Duke in the bonus early on in halfs.