Standing in front of St. Joseph's University's expanded and renovated basketball complex that bears his name and officially was dedicated yesterday, the Hall of Fame coach was asked what the facilities were like during his playing days on Hawk Hill.

"Oh, we had nothing here," said the 84-year-old legend, who graduated from St. Joe's in 1949, a year before Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse opened. "We practiced at Kenney Gym at St. Joe's Prep. So every day after class we'd go to 17th and Stiles and went up to the second floor, where the gym was. There was a locker room. The kids would clear out their stuff so we could bring ours in.

"Up against the wall at both ends there were big pads to protect you if you drove to the basket. I broke my collarbone doing that."

Nodding toward the beautiful two-story, 20,000-square-foot and expansion to the Fieldhouse named the Jack Ramsay Center, he said: "It's a wonderful facility and a great asset for the university. It's an incredible honor for me. But this building represents all the coaches and players who have their imprint on what happened over the years at St. Joseph's."

Ramsay coached the Hawks for 11 seasons, from 1955 to 1966, and reached 10 postseason tourneys, including the Final Four in 1961. His teams went 234-72 and his winning percentage of .765 remains the best in school history. He then coached 20 seasons in the NBA and guided the Portland Trail Blazers to the championship in 1977.

Ramsay led a list of St. Joe's basketball royalty that included Jameer Nelson, who was among the benefactors for the $35 million project. The new locker room is named in honor of the guard from Chester, who was the consensus national player of the year in 2004 and is an all-star for the Orlando Magic. The men's basketball lounge is named after Delonte West, who teamed with Nelson in the backcourt to lead the Hawks to a 27-0 regular-season record and No. 1 ranking, a remarkable feat for a small Jesuit school in an era dominated by Division I football universities.

Obviously, Nelson was not attracted to St. Joseph's because of the facilities, but he said that most recruits are, and that the improvements should be a boost to the program.

"Maybe my mind-set is a little different," Nelson said. "I just wanted to play and have coaches who would make me better and people who would be there for me academically. But to some young guys, certain things matter more to them than they did to me. Guys want nice facilities. I do believe St. Joe's has the best fans, and with the addition to the gym and everything else, it will really help out."

The festive event was all St. Joe's. After Ramsay and St. Joseph's president, the Rev. Timothy R. Lannon, cut the ribbon, a five-man Dixieland band of Jesuits played "When the Hawks Go Flying In." Just as it does at basketball games, the Hawk mascot flapped its wings through the entire ceremony, and those in attendance toured the new building.

"A dream for us comes true on Hawk Hill," Father Lannon said.