Sanogo is such a talent and has a great head on his shoulders.
I would argue that Hurley cost us 2 or 3 games last year by sitting Sanogo for long stretches against teams that went with small lineups (St. Johns, Creighton, and Maryland).
I know Hurley preaches defense first and that is likely why he matches small-for-small lineups in those situations, and sat Sanogo.
But my take is that Hurley outsmarted himself by pulling Sanogo against teams that went small. Yes, defensively you're at more risk, but offensively, when you have a player with Sanogo's talent, you have to leave him in there... get him the ball every time down the court, and let him dominate against a smaller opponent.
If Sanogo continues to improve like he showed throughout last year, the only reason Hurley should be benching the guy in close games should be for foul trouble or the occasional breather.