INDIANAPOLIS -- An elderly women held out a glossy sheet of paper for Jessica Davenport, who calmly wrote her signature on it, passed it to a teammate and looked for the next item to inscribe.

Davenport was sitting in a crowded room, the Artsgarden, a glass-enveloped foyer attached to a downtown mall. The room hovered over Washington Street, connecting the mall to the buildings on the other side of the road. Members of the four remaining teams at the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament were gathered in that perch yesterday afternoon, sitting at tables and ready to meet fans.

Spectators buzzed around to each of the four tables and had the opportunity to meet with coaches and players from No. 5 Ohio State, No. 15 Purdue, Michigan State and Penn State. In the scarlet and gray section of the room, Davenport was highly sought after.

Fan after fan shuffled past to get a glimpse of her -- her massive body, her long arms and engulfing hands.

Davenport, Ohio State's senior center who will meet Penn State in the semifinals this afternoon, is one of the nation's top collegiate players and a surefire WBNA draft pick, but she's retained a humility that showed through on this particular afternoon.

She plucked each item and carefully wrote her name on them. She was methodical and tranquil. She was neither hurried nor looked disinterested, even though she's often the focal point of attention.

Sometimes, she'll catch students on campus inquisitively staring at her and then back down at the student newspaper, trying to determine if she's really the same person whose picture is all over the sports section. Other times, she'll hear it in class -- "Is that Jessica?"

"I just put my head phones on or act like I'm on my cell phone a little bit," she said. "It's nice when people recognize you for what you're doing, but you just take it as it goes."

In her sparkling career, she became the first player to be named Big Ten Player of the Year three times in a row. She's also been a two-time All America selection. In Ohio State's only game at this year's Big Ten Tournament on Friday night, Davenport scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds and had four assists.

"Basketball is just fun to me," she said. "I go out there and play because I love it, and I love to be around my teammates. I don't have a reason to be cocky or anything like that."

Family-instilled values have clearly helped stave off any ounce of arrogance. Her parents, who have separated, live 15 minutes from Ohio State's campus. She likes to go home on Sunday afternoons to get a home-cooked meal and just chill out. It's nice, she said, to get away from basketball and schoolwork.

Davenport started playing basketball in seventh grade. Admittedly, she wasn't too great at the start. She couldn't dribble; she was only coaxed into play because she was about 6-feet tall.

Hours in the gym have obviously changed that. Despite the accomplishments, she takes the time to improve every day. Ohio State head coach Jim Foster said he sees her in the gym before every practice systematically practicing fundamentals, backing into the basket and throwing hook shots.

"Walking into the gym on a daily basis, I know where I'm going to find Jess," he said.

That, Davenport said, is how to avoid pressure, which naturally accumulates when you're in her position.

Teammates ask her to score 50 points by halftime before certain games. They're joking, Davenport insisted. But perhaps there's a tinge of truth in some of their comments. Pressure has been lumped on Davenport, especially after Ohio State lost two of its best guards to injury. So she continues to put in the time in the practice.

"It's an everyday process," Davenport said. "Working hard in practice from day one, it helps take care of pressure. When I get into the game I don't have to think of something new because I do it everyday."

That's been the formula. With diligence and humility, Davenport has thrust herself into the forefront. She's the star, albeit a somewhat reluctant one.

So now, sitting in a rotunda overlooking the downtown shops and restaurants, cars passing underneath the assemblage, Davenport is quiet and polite. She signs autographs and shakes hands and grants interviews.

You won't see her thump her chest or scream on the floor. And in this setting, she's similarly subdued. She's not flamboyant or outspoken. She doesn't draw attention; she acts just like everyone else there.