Vol. 38, No. 18

2-10-2006
By: Randy Gammage

Jessica Davenport has big impact

At six feet five, 205 pounds, OSU basketball star Jessica Davenport has used her physical stature to soar to athletic glory.

Finalist for the top three national awards (Naismith, Wade and Wooden), 2005 AP and Kodak All-American, and Big Ten Player of the Year, she also helped the United States win gold last summer at the World University Games in Turkey, averaging nearly 11 points and 5 rebounds per game.

Her most satisfying athletic accomplishment: a share of the 2005 Big Ten title with a win in the final home game of the season before a sellout crowd. "We had our backs against the wall due to a couple of early-season conference losses and then we got off to a slow start in the game," Davenport recalls. "I was really proud of the way we fought back and scrapped in that game and won the title."

Along the way to the 2005 team title, Davenport recorded a triple-double (19 points, 13 rebounds, 12 blocked shots against Michigan State Feb. 20), and set a Value City Arena record with 35 points vs. Minnesota Feb. 17. She continues to anchor a Buckeye squad in the midst of another impressive season.

"She excels in the classroom, she excels on the court, and she represents herself in a way that is very positive for those around her," OSU Women's Basketball Coach Jim Foster says. "In addition, she is a very humble person, which is very refreshing."

Davenport, an Independence High School grad, says moving into a college dorm at Ohio State as a freshman "was the first time in my life that I was going to be living on my own away from my parents and responsible for balancing the rigors of college athletics and academics."

"Experiencing that first year on campus," she goes on, "and rooming with freshman teammates Brandi Hoskins and Stephanie Blanton, away from our parents for the first time, is something we still talk about."

Davenport adjusted well. Currently a junior majoring in Family Resource Management, she was named an OSU Scholar Athlete at the end of her freshman year and earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, thanks to good time management.

"Our schedules are so hectic during the season that whenever you get a couple of hours to yourself it's nice to actually be able to get something accomplished," she says.

The accomplishments include community service, like reading to children at the Columbus Public Library, carrying the torch during opening ceremonies for the 2005 Special Olympics and talking to a group of sixth graders about the importance of staying in school and preparing for college.

After a professional basketball career, Davenport ultimately aspires to own a clothing store that specializes in hard-to-find sizes. With size 14 shoes and an even bigger heart, Davenport should have an edge on the competition.

onCampus Home