"There's only one name that belongs on this, and that's his," Martelli said, referring to the legendary coach who guided the Hawks to national prominence during his tenure from 1955 to 1966.

The $35 million renovation and expansion is about much more than a new 600-square-foot office for Martelli, a significant improvement from the 120-square-foot office he's vacated, one with a ceiling so low many of his players couldn't stand without bumping their heads.

There is the new 24,000-square-foot locker room named after Jameer Nelson, the dynamic guard who led St. Joe's to a 27-0 regular season in 2003-04 and is an NBA all-star for the Orlando Magic.

There is the Thomas J. Wynne Athletic Hall of Fame room to entertain alums with deep pockets. "I don't even have a key to the place," Martelli said.

There is the Delonte West Lounge, named after the Cleveland Cavaliers guard who paired with Nelson to form one of the greatest backcourt tandems in Big Five history. There is a 28-seat video study room.

There are remaining phases of the upgrades and renovations still to be completed, including an additional 1,000 seats that will bring the capacity to 4,200 and will open as the Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena with a dedication Oct. 17.

To his credit, Martelli never used outdated facilities as a factor in his recruiting efforts, and he's not certain whether the new amenities will attract recruits he might not otherwise would have gotten. But it can't hurt.

Martelli's most recent recruit, guard Langston Galloway, said the other day the improved facilities didn't factor into his decision to choose St. Joe's.

"But it's something extra that's really nice," said Galloway, who is from Baton Rouge, La., and is a nephew of Hawks assistant coach Geoff Arnold.

"I still want to believe they're going to come because of the program," Martelli said. "I certainly thought there were times when [many opponents] had tree limbs and we had popsicle sticks. But I never got up in the morning and said, 'Well, this battle can't be won because they'll just club me over the head with those tree limbs.' "

Martelli said he hopes the modern amenities won't give his players a sense of entitlement.

"We always have to remember where we came from," he said. "A lot of our former players who've seen all this said the same thing."

Last season, St. Joe's played its home games at the Palestra while the renovations were taking place and averaged 6,415 fans a game.