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Gonzaga Basketball

SDSU’s A.J. Hess has warmest regards for Brookings

Southern Utah’s A.J. Hess, now a graduate transfer for South Dakota State, defends Eastern Washington guard Kevin Winford in a 2013 game. (Tyler Tjomsland / The Spokesman-Review)
By Jim Meehan jimm@spokesman.com(509) 459-5585

SALT LAKE CITY – Senior wing A.J. Hess, a graduate transfer from Southern Utah, loves everything about South Dakota State’s campus and community.

The football team has a state-of-the-art stadium and the school is breaking ground on a new basketball practice facility. Hess noted that fan support is outstanding.

“It’s a really tight-knit community (in Brookings), it kind of has that perfect small-town college feel to it,” Hess said. “It’s cold as sin. It was like negative 50 one day. That’s the biggest knock I’d say.”

Hess paused to correct himself.

“Negative 40, windchill,” he said. “That makes a world of difference between negative 40 and negative 50.”