Yes it can, and that knowledgable friend is wrong, 64kb is not the ideal block size, SQL does not read and write in extents only.
http://blog.purestorage.com/what-is-sql-servers-io-block-size/
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability