Photos by MATT GENTRY I The Roanoke Times

Men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg shows off the lobby.

The Hokies' two practice courts on the first floor feature a total of eight baskets. A curtain has been pulled down to divide the courts. The Hokies began using the courts last month for workouts.

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg has the recruiting magnet he longed for.

Greenberg loves playing in 48-year-old Cassell Coliseum, but he wanted a shiny new building that would demonstrate to recruits that Tech cares about more than football.

In August, the men's and women's basketball teams moved into a $21 million practice facility.

"We created the wow factor you need," Greenberg said. "This is as nice as any in the country.

"We're not going to sign a McDonald's All-American today, but I think in the big picture it's going to give us a more level playing field in terms of recruiting. We have the bells and whistles you need."

The building features two practice courts; coaches' offices; locker rooms; a weight room; a trainer's room; and display areas devoted to Hokies past and present.

"Every resource you could need to help develop as a basketball player is available for you in the building," Greenberg said. "The building says we're serious about basketball."

Women's basketball coach Beth Dunkenberger said the two-story building behind Cassell Coliseum is already impressing potential recruits.

"One of the first recruits we brought in walked in the door and said, 'I'll be right back. I've got to get my camera,' " she said.

Virginia Tech is one of 10 ACC schools that has built either a basketball building or a new arena this decade. Georgia Tech and Miami also gained new practice facilities this year. Virginia debuted John Paul Jones Arena, which includes two practice courts, in 2006.

"This is the cost of doing business in the ACC," Greenberg said. "We might not compete in terms of our tradition yet, but now we can compete in terms of facilities."

The courts in the new building are side-by-side, with a curtain that can drop down to divide them. The coaches love that the courts have a total of eight baskets.

The teams' only practice options used to be the Cassell court -- which has just two baskets and which is also used for volleyball -- and a small, back gym in the coliseum.

The basketball teams will continue to practice some of the time on the Cassell court, including in a public session to mark the start of preseason practice at 9 p.m. Friday.

The walls of the new courts feature photos of male and female ex-Hokies; quotes from the coaches; and a number of key words important to the coaches, such as "accountability" and "passion." The courts have remote-controlled cameras so practice can be filmed by someone in a second-floor video room.

The coaches and recruits can look down at the courts from the windows of the head coaches' second-floor offices and nearby balconies.

In addition to spending $21 million to build the facility, Tech spent another $390,000 for the facility's eye-catching graphics packages, which not only include the photos and key words on the walls throughout the building but also several display areas.

The main display area is on the first floor, and gives equal space to the men and women. One section of the lobby features photos devoted to great moments in the Tech men's history and to former Tech women's stars. There are sections displaying some of the teams' individual records; significant games; league award-winners; lists of graduates; and key words.

"It kind of sells who we are," Greenberg said. "We want to emphasize the success we've had in the ACC, but we also want to pay tribute to the history of our program."

Next to a long staircase in the lobby are a pair of photos, each 8 feet wide and 18 feet tall. For the women's photo, Dunkenberger chose current Hokie Utahya Drye. For the men's photo, Greenberg chose a shot of ex-Hokie Deron Washington hurdling ex-Duke guard Greg Paulus for a layup.

Why did Greenberg choose that particular photo?

"It's a dramatic photo," Greenberg said. "As you're driving down Washington Street at night, that photo is lit up."

There is a small display room on the second floor which shows off Nike gear; coaches' photos; and the pro uniforms of Byron Russell, whom Greenberg coached at Long Beach State, and ex-Hokie Kerri Gardin.

There are also displays at the entrances to each team lounge. They feature basketballs from big wins and jerseys of ex-players such as Ieva Kublina and the late Allen Calloway.

Inside each lounge is a flat-screen TV. Dunkenberger brought in recruits to watch the Miami-Tech football game on TV so they could avoid the rain that day.

In the men's lounge, there is a big "VT" logo that Greenberg has been asking ex-Hokies to sign.

"A big part of the building is, we're trying to tie the past into the present," Greenberg said.

There are photos of former Hokie players in the first-floor locker rooms. Unlike the men, the women each have a mirror and vanity area at their lockers. Players will still use their Cassell locker rooms on game days.

The two coaches love the building's computerized video system, which features touch pads throughout the building. Coaches can pick the video they want to see in their offices; the lounges; conference rooms; and team meeting rooms.

Landscaping will be done to an area behind the building to turn it into a courtyard where coaches can hold cookouts to impress recruits.

The Hokie Club raised $11 million for the building but could not find a booster who wanted to donate millions for naming rights.