Basketball small forward benchmarks: what each level actually looks like
These are the numbers Athlete Quotient scores every basketball small forward against - not a coach's opinion, and not a chart copied from a message board.
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Small Forward benchmarks by level
| Metric | D1 elite | D1 | D1 floor | D2 | D3 | HS varsity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assists Per Game | 4.0 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 2.5 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
| 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 | 8.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
| 3-Point % | .400 | .340 | .304 | .270 | .236 | .202 |
Your numbers are on this ladder. Type them once and the scorer places them, 0-100, against these same benchmarks.
Score my numbersThe bar for a small forward is not the bar for a basketball player in general. Against the sport-wide D1 rung, this position asks for assists per game: 2.3 (0.7 lower than the sport-wide basketball D1 rung), assist/turnover ratio: 1.5 (0.2 lower than the sport-wide basketball D1 rung), fg %: .486 (.049 higher than the sport-wide basketball D1 rung), free throw %: .691 (.050 lower than the sport-wide basketball D1 rung), points per game: 12.0 (2.0 higher than the sport-wide basketball D1 rung), 3-point %: .340 (.002 lower than the sport-wide basketball D1 rung).
Check your number
Where do your numbers land?
Pick a metric, type your number, and it is read against the small forward ladder above, right here on the page. It is never sent and never stored.
One number is one rung. Your full AQ Score reads all five dimensions against these same tables - free, no account needed.
Place your numbers on this ladder
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.
Score my numbersNo account needed. Your free score finds the gaps. The Playbook turns every gap into a weekly training plan, with fueling guidance included - built from your own measured numbers.
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Common questions
What is a good assists per game for a small forward?
Athlete Quotient's D1 benchmark for a small forward is 2.3. The D2 rung is 1.6, D3 is 1.4, and high school varsity is 1.2. The elite D1 rung is 4.0.
What is a good assist/turnover ratio for a small forward?
Athlete Quotient's D1 benchmark for a small forward is 1.5. The D2 rung is 1.1, D3 is 1.0, and high school varsity is 0.9. The elite D1 rung is 2.5.
How to read these
Each column is a rung on the Athlete Quotient benchmark ladder - the bar the engine scores every athlete against - not a cutoff and not an entry price. Being under a rung does not close a door. It tells you the size of the gap, which is the only number you can actually train against.
These are Athlete Quotient's own benchmarks. Where a published college figure exists we use it; where none exists, the rung is ours. We would rather say that than claim a source we do not have.
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. More: how AQ builds benchmarks.