CAL FACING PESKY FOE BEARS HOPE TO EXTERMINATE WISCONSIN GREEN BAY By JOHN AKERS Mercury News Staff Writer OGDEN, Utah Perhaps one of the greatest compliments ever paid a Wisconsin Green Bay player came three years ago, in the school's last NCAA tournament appearance. After being run through a maze of screens, a panting Steve Smith, the former Michigan State guard who now starts for the Miami Heat, complained to Green Bay guard John Martinez, ''Hey, do you have to move around so much?'' The answer, of course, is yes, they do, to have any hope of upsetting No. 16 Cal in this afternoon's game, or of even scaring the Bears as they did the Spartans in that first round 60 58 loss in 1991. ''If we were a run and gun team, we would not be in the NCAA tournament,'' center Jeff Nordgaard said. ''We'd be in the cellar of our conference, probably.'' ''It's a fact we don't have the athletes they do,'' said Martinez, who's playing with a broken nose and two bad knees. ''But we have a system that enables us to win.'' The system is a series of screens and back cuts that creates openings for shooters. Rarely do players create those opportunities on their own. More than two thirds of Green Bay's 777 baskets were created from assists, the highest percentage in this sub regional. The Phoenix never strayed this season from its man to man defense, although there's more of a group effort going on than the term suggests. The total package is meant to create a fly buzzing around Cal's ear. ''Most teams don't like to play against our defense,'' Martinez said. ''It's not a one on one kind of defense. If you get by one of our guys, there'll be another one waiting, maybe two. ''And when we're on offense, I don't know if they're willing to battle through our screens for a whole game.'' Coach Dick Bennett said he has decided who will guard Jason Kidd but wasn't willing to name that player. Kidd probably will meet Green Bay's best defender, 6 foot 3 Gary Grzesk, although that places Martinez, who's 6 0, against 6 6 Monty Buckley. ''I think what will happen is, I'll say, 'Who wants (Kidd)?' '' Bennett said, ''and the guy who forgets to step back is the guy who gets him.'' Cal Coach Todd Bozeman has concluded that Green Bay has the total package, defensively. ''They're physical,'' he said. ''They bump you. They close out shooters. They give a lot of help. They communicate well. They rebound after the shot.'' But there are much more complicated systems out there, Bennett said. ''I don't even pretend to understand what Temple's doing defensively,'' he said. ''We just play straight up man to man. There's not much guesswork as to how we're going to play defensively. There are teams that break us down and make us look bad.'' It's true. The Phoenix has frustrated some of the nation's top players, such as Wisconsin's Michael Finley (2 of 13) and Marquette's Damon Key (1 of 11). But there is also Detroit Mercy's Tony Tolbert (41 points) and Illinois Chicago's Sherell Ford (22 point average in three games). Green Bay also never has had to play two great players at one time, such as Kidd and Lamond Murray. Throw in the problems a potential Martinez Buckley mismatch creates, and the Phoenix defense could be rendered ordinary in a hurry. And there's one easy way to negate Green Bay's intricate offensive system: Play in a zone. ''We'll play our game,'' Bozeman said. ''They'll play their game. I guess the winner will be the team that plays their game to the fullest.'' MERCURY CENTER IS CAL'S FIRST ROUND FOE ANOTHER GIANT KILLER? 3/16/94 By BOB BURNS McClatchy News Service OGDEN, Utah Pete Carril at Princeton. Dick Tarrant at Richmond. Lou Campanelli at James Madison. For the last decade or so, one of those coaches always seemed to be performing magic in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, cajoling ordinary players to the brink of an outrageous upset. Every now and then such as the time Richmond blind sided Syracuse three years ago they managed to step over the brink. Dick Bennett of Wisconsin Green Bay is this year's Pete Carril, a coach who preaches fury on defense and patience on offense. Earlier this season, in fact, Wake Forest coach Dave Odom called Wisconsin Green Bay ''Princeton with talent.'' Bennett chuckled at the comparison. ''It would have been more impressive if he'd said we were a Princeton with brains,'' Bennett said. Cal coach Todd Bozeman drew a different comparison when asked about Wisconsin Green Bay. Cal (22 7) plays UWGB (26 6) in today's opening round of the NCAA West subregional at Weber State University. ''I don't know of one team they remind me of,'' Bozeman said. ''Maybe the Knicks. They like to bump you.'' The fifth seeded Bears might ride the offensive skills of Jason Kidd and Lamond Murray to an easy victory. But UWGB beat Marquette earlier this season and lost by just five points to Purdue and three points in overtime to Wake Forest. ''They might not be that well known,'' Bozeman said, ''but the true basketball fans know it's a very good team with a great coach. They don't beat themselves. They're a very deliberate team that likes to control the tempo.'' Bennett's record in nine seasons at Wisconsin Green Bay is 164 100. The Phoenix nearly pulled off a big upset in the 1991 NCAA Tournament, losing 60 58 to Michigan State on a buzzer beater by Steve Smith. UWGB led Michigan State by six points with two minutes remaining when Bennett switched to a zone defense. Smith hit two three pointers before his game winning basket. Bennett hasn't called for the zone since, and the Phoenix ranked third nationally in scoring defense, allowing 54.7 points per game. Cal averages 79.3 points offensively. ''We certainly have no secrets to our defense,'' he said. ''We just play a simple man to man halfcourt defense.'' The star of that NCAA Tournament team was Bennett's son, Tony, who is a reserve point guard for the Charlotte Hornets. Bennett also coached future NBA All Star Terry Porter at Wisconsin Stevens Point, but players such as those have been few and far between for the 50 year old coach. This year's leading scorer is Jeff Nordgaard (15.3 points per game), a 6 foot 6 sophomore who came to Green Bay only when South Dakota State reneged on a football scholarship offer. Bennett's best player is John Martinez, a 6 foot guard from Milwaukee. ''Coach lets us know right away that if we want to compete with these teams, we have to play defense and take care of the ball,'' Martinez said. ''We don't have the players and the athletes they do, but we have a program that allows us to win.'' Either Martinez or Gary Grzesk will draw the tough assignment of guarding Kidd, the Cal All American who leads the nation in assists. ''I'll probably just say, 'Who wants Kidd?' and the guy who forgets to step back will guard him,'' Bennett said. Bennett grew up in Clintonville, a small town 40 miles from Green Bay. He was a three sport star at Ripon College and coached 11 years at five different high schools before moving up to Wisconsin Stevens Point in 1976. Bennett signed a seven year contract extension at Wisconsin Green Bay before this season and expects to wrap up things there. ''It's where I belong,'' Bennett said.