WATCH: Rick Pitino gets animated while pushing St John’s stars to play defense vs Butler

St. John's coach Rick Pitino has made a name in college basketball for his aggressive style of defense that effectively mixes full-court press and "match-up" zone to a dreaded combo. His strategy requires quick decisions and non-stop pressure from his players to disrupt opponents' offensive schemes and force turnovers.

Pitino's patented defense has brought the Red Storm to the top of the Big East Conference standings this season. They ranked No. 1 in the conference in rebounds, steals, points and field goal percentage allowed and No. 2 in blocks per game.

He constantly reminds his players to stay alert on the defensive end and never let their guard down on their assignments. Pitino's huddles during timeouts are a sight to behold, as the 72-year-old former national champion has been animated on the sidelines, just like a father reminding his children to perform their roles.

During St. John's Big East quarterfinal game against Butler on Thursday, Pitino was mic'd up on the huddle, giving his defensive instructions to his players and reminded one of them to keep his assignment in check so another blow-by wouldn't happen again.

"Let's all play defense now. They're coming at us quickly. Get your hands ready," the veteran coach said on the huddle. "Don't get picked. Don't let them go by you. I'm not gonna tell you again."

The relentless defense gave the Red Storm an early 18-3 lead but the Bulldogs closed in, reducing the deficit to eight. Pitino gathered his players and put up a 19-5 surge that turned a 37-29 lead to a 56-34 advantage with 12:16 left. St. John's stuck to its play until the final buzzer and made it to the tournament semifinals.

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St. John's aims for third straight win against Marquette in Big East Tournament semifinal duel

No. 6 St. John's looks to continue its season-long dominance on No. 25 Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament on Friday at the Madison Square Garden.

The Red Storm has swept the regular season series against the Golden Eagles, winning both games by an average of four points. The matches have been close with the second showdown needing an overtime to decide its outcome.

St. John's will rely on the trio of RJ Luis, Zuby Ejiofor, and Kadary Richmond to run the offense against Marquette. Luis is averaging 18.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.2 apg, and 1.4 spg while Ejiofor has tallied 14.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, and 1.5 bpg.

Richmond's numbers may be down from last season when he was with Seton Hall but his playmaking ability still stands out, averaging 12.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.3 apg, and 2.1 apg.

On the other hand, the Golden Eagles have relied on Kam Jones, David Joplin, Stevie Mitchell, and Chase Ross on offense. The four players have averaged in double figures with Jones leading the charge with 19.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.0 apg, and 1.4 spg.

Joplin has provided support for Jones, producing 13.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 apg and 1.0 spg. Mitchell and Ross have been pillars of defense for Shaka Smart's team, combining for 22.7 points and 4.2 steals per contest.

Both teams are known for their active hands, with St. John's averaging 9.3 steals per game while Marquette is close behind with 9.1 swipes. Expect a defensive struggle between the two teams in the Big East semifinals as both will try to use their defense to fuel their offense.