Basketball power forward benchmarks: what each level actually looks like
These are the numbers Athlete Quotient scores every basketball power forward against - not a coach's opinion, and not a chart copied from a message board.
Power Forward benchmarks by level
| Metric | D1 elite | D1 average | D1 below average | D2 average | D3 average | HS varsity average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assists Per Game | 3.0 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 2.00 | 1.00 | 0.90 | 0.85 | 0.80 | 0.75 |
| FG % | .595 | .486 | .433 | .396 | .359 | .322 |
| Free Throw % | .803 | .691 | .619 | .545 | .471 | .397 |
| Points Per Game | 20 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
| Rebounds Per Game | 11.0 | 7.0 | 5.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| 3-Point % | .400 | .340 | .304 | .270 | .236 | .202 |
A D1 power forward is not the same as a D1 basketball player in general. Against the sport-wide D1 average, this position asks for assists per game: 1.5 (1.5 lower than the basketball D1 average), assist/turnover ratio: 1.00 (0.70 lower than the basketball D1 average), fg %: .486 (.049 higher than the basketball D1 average), free throw %: .691 (.050 lower than the basketball D1 average), points per game: 12.0 (2.0 higher than the basketball D1 average), rebounds per game: 7.0 (2.0 higher than the basketball D1 average), 3-point %: .340 (.002 lower than the basketball D1 average).
See where your numbers actually land
A table tells you the bar. Your AQ Score tells you where you stand against it - all five dimensions, your gaps, and the level you actually fit, scored by the same engine these benchmarks come from. Your first score is free.
Get my free AQ ScoreCommon questions
What is a good assists per game for a power forward?
A D1 power forward averages 1.5. D2 averages 1.0, D3 averages 0.9, and a high school varsity power forward averages 0.8. Elite D1 is 3.0.
What is a good assist/turnover ratio for a power forward?
A D1 power forward averages 1.00. D2 averages 0.85, D3 averages 0.80, and a high school varsity power forward averages 0.75. Elite D1 is 2.00.
How to read these
Each column is a level, not a cutoff. "D1 average" is what a typical D1 power forward does, which means roughly half of them are below it. "D1 elite" is the top of the distribution, not the entry price. Being under a column does not close a door - it tells you the size of the gap, which is the only number you can actually train against.
Benchmark set 2026.08.10+30cbb911a057. These tables are the same ones the scoring engine uses, exported from it rather than retyped, so a page can never quietly disagree with a score. Method: how AQ builds benchmarks.