Defense will never be a consistent strength under Brey. He values his players putting forth the most effort on the offensive side of the court. That will never change season-to-season. He will never broaden to a seven or eight-player rotation from season-to-season. That certainly doesn't mean that we can't complain about these things, but hoping that with new variables added, that he will change, is ultimately foolish.
Brey is just about the hardest person to criticize because he's so likable, by all accounts. It's not an act. I would lose my stack if my players played defense as poorly as Brey's guys often/usually do, or at the passiveness and lack of aggression that I see so often. I can't imagine playing a college schedule, with the goal of a Tournament bid, and giving six players nearly all the minutes over an entire season. If anyone is puzzled by why ND is almost always gone by the end of the first week of the Tournament, he needs his head examined. The players are tired and beat up. This is the tradeoff by having an Iron Five/Six.