Here are the 4 factors that will decide the winner of the WVU-Duke game, in order of importance:

• X Factor: Both Duke and West Virginia rely on the same guys night in night out to produce on the offensive end. For the Blue Devils, it’s the Big Three of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith. For the Mountaineers, it’s Da’Sean Butler, Kevin Jones, and Devin Ebanks. Tonight, though, someone else is going to need to step up. Will Joe Mazzulla repeat his performance in the Elite 8? Will Andre Dawkins hit another couple 3s?
• West Virginia’s ball security: The Mountaineers can be a little loose with the rock, especially when Mazzulla is out of the game. They’re not the best ball handling team and sometimes they force things. Duke likes to extend their defense and pressure ball handlers. WVU will need to be poised, focused, and steady with the ball.
• Duke’s three point shooting: The Blue Devils were 11-23 from downtown in their win over Baylor. West Virginia plays a 1-3-1 zone that takes opponents out of their rhythm, as you saw against Kentucky. The Wildcats took a lot of contested threes and missed almost all of them. If Duke can move the ball and be patient, they’ll be able to get open looks. They’ve gotta knock them down.
• Rebounding: These are two of the best rebounding teams in the country, and they both really hit the offensive glass. This game should be incredibly physical down low, and whoever wins the battle of the boards will have the inside track to winning the game.