SALT LAKE CITY — Let the college basketball awards season begin.
On Monday, Utah center Jakob Poeltl was named a USA Today First-Team All-American, joining Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, North Carolina's Brice Johnson, Kentucky's Tyler Ulis, and Michigan State's Denzel Valentine.
The first-team All-American honor is likely the first of many for Poeltl, who finished the regular season averaging 17.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. He recorded 14 double-doubles on the season, with five of those coming in the last six games.
Poeltl is a finalist for the Oscar Robertson Trophy and John R.