3 Daunting Questions for Duke Blue Devils vs. Houston in Sweet 16

2. Can Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell Control the Boards?

Houston's most glaring weakness comes on the glass. The Cougars rank 271st in defensive rebounding rate (69.1%) and we saw the Aggies come down with 26 offensive rebounds to generate second-chance points and claw their way back into the game.

Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell have to learn from Texas A&M's success and dominate the paint in order for Duke to win.

The Blue Devils are 80th in offensive rebounding (31.9%) and 52nd in defensive rebounding (74.2%). This is the area Duke must exploit to overcome disadvantages against Houston's stellar backcourt.

Mitchell has a massive opportunity to cement himself in Duke lore. He had just two points in the second-round win but notched five rebounds, three steals and the above block. If he patrols the paint and lets Filipowski control the glass, I'll feel good about the Blue Devils.

This is also a big chance for Filipowski. Even though Duke lost the game to NC State, Filipowski still had 28 points and 14 rebounds. He secured 12 rebounds in the first round and needs at least that many on Friday.

Avoiding foul trouble will be key. L.J. Cryer, Jamal Shead and Emanuel Sharp can all drive the paint and will try to initiate contact to get Duke's star out of the game early. Should Filipowski pick up a couple of early fouls and hit the bench, this one might be over quickly.