LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s basketball’s Willie Cauley-Stein has been named a First Team All-American by the Sporting News.

UK head coach John Calipari was named Sporting News Coach of the Year.

Karl-Anthony Towns was named a Third Team All-American by the publication.

Cauley-Stein and Towns are UK’s first Sporting News All-America selections since Anthony Davis (First Team) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Second Team) in 2012.

Calipari led UK to a 31-0 record in the regular season, the first undefeated regular season by a power-five conference team since 1975-76. He also coached UK’s to its 46th regular-season Southeastern Conference Championship.

Cauley-Stein averaged 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.6 blocks in 25.4 minutes per game in the regular season as part of UK’s platoon system. In six wins over ranked opponents he averaged team highs in points (11.5) and rebounds (8.2).

On a pro-rated basis per 40-minute game, Cauley-Stein averaged 14.0 points, 10.1 rebounds 2.5 blocks and 2.2 steals.

Towns finished the regular season among the nation’s leaders in rebounds per game (6.6) and free-throw percentage (.790). He concluded the regular season averaging 9.7 points per game while shooting 55.8 percent from the field. He paced the nation’s second-leading shot blocking unit with 74 rejections on the year.

Julius Randle was UK’s most-recent All-American, as he earned Third Team All-America honors from the Associated Press and National Association of Basketball Coaches last year.

The NCAA recognizes the Sporting News, AP, NABC and United States Basketball Writers Association’s All-America teams in considering consensus All-Americans.

Notebook: UK continues to rake in awards ahead of postseason

Cauley-Stein was named the USBWA District IV Player of the Year, John Calipari was named District Coach of the Year and four Wildcats were named to the All-District team, which is made up of 10 players.

Devin Booker, Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison and Towns were named to the All-District Team.

The USBWA’s District IV includes the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Cauley-Stein, Calipari earn NBCSports.com’s Postseason Awards

Cauley-Stein was named NBCSports.com’sDefensive Player of the Year for his work as the key figure in the nation’s top-ranked field-goal percentage defense.

The junior leads Kentucky in steals (44) while ranking second in blocked shots (49). Capable of guarding all five positions, Cauley-Stein is the only 7-footer in the country to rank in the top 215 nationally in steals per game.

Earlier this season, Cauley-Stein became the first player in school history to collect 200 or more career blocks and 100 or more career steals. He’s also one of just eight players in program history 500 or more rebounds, 100 or more blocks, and 75 or more steals.

Calipari was named NBCSports.com’s Coach of the Year.

Calipari led UK through the SEC regular season undefeated for the 15th time in school history.

For the latest on the Kentucky men’s basketball team, follow @KentuckyMBB on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.

Sporting News Awards

First Team All-America: Willie Cauley-Stein

Third Team All-America: Karl-Anthony Towns

Coach of the Year: John Calipari

USBWA District

Player of the Year: Willie Cauley-Stein

Coach of the Year: John Calipari

All-District: Devin Booker, Willie Cauley-Stein, Aaron Harrison, Karl-Anthony Towns

NBCSports.com

Defensive Player of the Year: Willie Cauley-Stein

Coach of the Year: John Calipari