Physical and performance characteristics of NCAA division I male basketball players

Forty-five NCAA Division I male basketball teams totaling 437 players were surveyed about their height, weight, strength, speed, power, agility, body fatness, and aerobic capacity. Selected mean values ± SD were as follows: Height, 195.3 ± 8.9 cm; weight, 91.3 + 11.1 kg; % fat, 9.4 ± 15.2%; vertical jump 71.4 ± 10.4 cm; 1-RM bench press, 102.7 ± 18.9 kg; 1-RM squat, 152.2 + 36.5 kg; 40-yd dash, 4.81 ± 0.26 sec; agility 8.95 ± 0.53 sec; and 1 mile run, 5 min 40 sec ± 32 sec. Guards, forwards, and centers differed on all variables except bench press, 1.5-mile run, and agility. Guards were the smallest and leanest players and had the best vertical jump, speed, and strength relative to body weight, and the best mile run performance. Centers were the largest players, had the highest percent body fat and the poorest agility, 40-yd dash, and mile run times. Forwards and centers were similar in bench press and power clean, but forwards were stronger in both absolute and relative squat strength. Team mean scores were significantly different (p < 0.001) except for height, weight, 30-yd dash, and agility.