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.