BIG MAC ON CAMPUS; WITH PLENTY OF ATTENTION, HIGHLAND GRAD WILSON FINDS LIFE SWEET AT BYU.

Byline: Lee Barnathan Daily News Staff Writer

When Mac Wilson is introduced in Utah, Beatlemania occurs.

Screams echo throughout Brigham Young University's Smith Field House. Wilson smiles sheepishly and waves at the crowd.

Younger girls demand autographs or pictures with him. It's quite a sight considering Wilson is 6-foot-9 and the girls are almost two feet shorter.

``You can see why,'' teammate Ryan Millar said. ``He's tall, he's a starter on the most popular team in our valley, and he's good-looking. It's either Mac or Ossie (Antonetti), and (Antonetti's) got a girlfriend.''

``I've been accused of having groupies,'' Wilson said with some amusement. ``My close friends say, `I want to be the president of your fan club.' They know it bugs me.''

The shy Wilson, a Highland High graduate, has earned the adulation. After appearing in just two games last season, he's starting - and starring - on the No. 1 ranked volleyball team in the nation.

Today, Wilson and his Cougars open play in the NCAA Final Four at Pauley Pavilion. They are the favorites to win the school's first national title and become only the second non-California school to win it. BYU (28-1) faces Penn State (22-12), which won the championship in 1994, at 6:30 p.m. A win sends the Cougars into Saturday's 4:30 p.m. final against either Long Beach State or Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne.

Although they are favored, the Cougars were dealt a blow Wednesday because Millar and Antonetti, who on Wednesday were named All-America, missed Wednesday's practice with intense intestinal distress. Millar suffered the symptoms before Saturday's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament championship match against USC, received an injection from a team physician and had 14 block assists in a 14-16, 15-9, 15-8, 15-11 victory over the Trojans that gave the Cougars an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament.

Antonetti had similar symptoms Wednesday, coach Carl McGown said.

If Millar and Antonetti are unavailable tonight, Wilson likely will see more sets. Not only has he earned the attention, he has adapted to it. There are even hints that he's enjoying it.

``I've got a lot to learn,'' Wilson said. ``People who normally wouldn't talk to you come up. I look in their eyes. They're more flirty. (Women) say, `Let's go hang out. Let's do something.' ''

At Highland, Wilson preferred to ignore the opposite sex, concentrate on volleyball and leave the spotlight to Millar. The combination worked, and the Bulldogs reached the Southern Section Division II championship in Wilson's senior year.

While Millar's hitting received the most attention (he was named MVP of numerous tournaments and garnered second-team All-America honors), Wilson quietly went about his blocking business. He still holds Highland records for 94 stuff blocks in a season and 15 blocks in a match.

``That's what Mac always has been great at,'' Highland coach Mike Bird said. ``His vision as a blocker and his anticipation is great. He always did a nice job of seeing the ball and seeing the hitter.''

Wilson earned a scholarship to BYU and promptly went on his two-year mission, to Buenos Aires.

If Wilson wanted to overcome his shyness, a Mormon mission to a foreign, non-English-speaking, soccer-mad, primarily Catholic country should do the trick.

``Going on a mission, all you do is walk up to people,'' Wilson said.

You also play plenty of soccer, and Wilson found himself in goal because of his height. He didn't, however, do many leaping and agility drills.

While his people skills improved, his volleyball skills suffered. Upon returning to BYU, Wilson had lost strength. McGown said Wilson ``was a big noodle: 6-9 and 120 pounds. When he got here, he bench-pressed 85 pounds once.''

Wilson also sat on the bench behind Millar and Hidde Van Beest, an Australian freshman who led the nation in blocking last year but left the program after one season to play on his country's 2000 Olympic team. His departure gave Wilson the opening he needed.

He didn't start at first - sophomore Scott Bunker had that spot. But McGown saw something and started Wilson for the two matches against UCLA Feb. 26 and 27. BYU swept both, and Wilson had 32 kills in 44 attempts along with 11 blocks. When he hit, he usually had only one blocker - 6-4 Danny Farmer - on him.

``I was on cloud nine and I didn't want to come down,'' Wilson said. ``That was an incredible weekend not soon to be forgotten.''

It was just the beginning. Wilson is hitting .464 with 200 kills in 310 attempts with 69 digs and 149 total blocks.

His performance also began catching the attention of female students. Suddenly, they were coming up to Wilson at school, calling him by name and talking about his latest game.

``There are a lot of good-looking girls,'' he said. ``I like talking to them if they're willing to talk. Just the social aspect has been incredible.''

Millar remains the go-to player, but he's married. Antonetti remains the first outside-hitter option, but he's also unavailable.

And they're both seniors. Wilson not only is the most eligible bachelor, he's around for two more years.

``I was telling my wife his stock was high because he was on the team,'' Millar said. ``Now that he's a starter, his stock has skyrocketed.''

COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL

What: NCAA Men's Final Four

Where: Pauley Pavilion, UCLA

When: Today, 6:30 p.m.; Final Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Who: No. 1-seeded BYU (28-1), Mountain Pacific Sports Federation champion, takes on East Region champion Penn State (22-12), the No. 4 seed, at 6:30 p.m. No. 2 Long Beach State (21-3), the at-large team, meets No. 3 Indiana-Purdue at Fort Wayne (20-3) 45 minutes after the conclusion of the first match.

Fast facts: Penn State (1994) and Long Beach State (1991) are the only two schools in the semifinals to have won a national championship. . . . This is the first time since 1973 that UCLA, USC and Pepperdine - with 25 combined titles - all are not in the Final Four.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO Mac Wilson and the BYU Cougars face Penn State today at Pauley Pavilion in the NCAA Final Four.

Phil McCarten/Daily News

BOX: COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL (see text)