Hanno Möttölä was picked as the top returning player in the Mountain West Conference.

Möttölä, a 6-foot-10 senior from Helsinki, Finland, was hurt when he took a charge during Utah's 70-68 exhibition loss to the California West All-Stars on Tuesday night.

Team physician Dr. Patrick Greiss initially diagnosed the injury as a sprain of the medial collateral ligament in Möttölä's left knee. After reviewing an MRI, Greiss detected a tear on Thursday.

Möttölä started all 67 of Utah's games over the past two seasons. He was a first-team all-Western Athletic Conference selection last season, averaging 15.3 points and 5.4 rebounds a game.

Möttölä might return for a Dec. 28 home game against Oregon State. The Utes open the regular season on Tuesday night, playing host to Arkansas State in the Preseason NIT.

Also injured for Utah are Nate Althoff, Trent Whiting and Adam Sharp.

Last season's starting center, the 6-foot-11 Althoff missed both preseason games with a back sprain. It could be two weeks before he returns.

"He's progressing well," trainer Trevor Jameson said. "We're optimistic to get him back soon. But at this point, it would be hard for me to predict when he's going to be ready."

With Althoff out, sophomore forward Phil Cullen moved to center. If Möttölä and Althoff each are sidelined, Utah probably would start two forwards and three guards.

Whiting, who has a thigh irritation, "has missed more practices than he's made," coach Rick Majerus said. "You can see that in his conditioning. He can hardly wait to bend over and grab his shorts."

Sharp, a reserve guard, broke his ankle while playing during the summer. He can play but is not 100 percent.