Background: Physical education (PE) curricula in team sports like basketball assume a foundational level of general physical fitness (GPF) for safe skill acquisition. However, empirical data on baseline GPF among Vietnamese non-specialized university students are scarce. This study had two objectives: first, to describe the baseline physical fitness of students before taking a basketball course at Saigon University (SGU); second, to compare fitness levels between male and female participants.

Methods: A cross-sectional study included 465 second-year students (369 females, 96 males). Six fitness components were assessed using standardized tests: handgrip strength, 30-second sit-ups, standing long jump, 30 m sprint, 4×10 m shuttle run, and 5 min run. Independent t-tests (or Mann-Whitney U tests) with Cohen's d effect sizes were used for sex comparisons. Results: Female students (n = 369) achieved mean values of 28.75 ± 2.89 kg for handgrip strength, 156.90 ± 7.82 cm for standing long jump, 15.44 ± 1.89 repetitions for 30‑second sit‑ups, 13.22 ± 0.85 s for the 4×10 m shuttle run, 6.12 ± 0.94 s for the 30 m sprint, and 839.60 ± 25.40 m for the 5‑minute run. Male students (n = 96) achieved 41.06 ± 2.71 kg, 214.20 ± 15.80 cm, 19.79 ± 0.89 repetitions, 13.16 ± 0.86 s, 5.38 ± 0.26 s, and 972.52 ± 14.10 m, respectively. Statistically significant sex differences were found for 5 out of 6 fitness tests (p < 0.001), with very large effect sizes for handgrip strength (d = 4.31) and standing long jump (d = 4.65). No significant difference was observed for the 4×10 m shuttle run (p = 0.563).

Conclusion: Baseline GPF values of SGU students were lower than Vietnamese national standards and values reported for general student populations in other countries. Curriculum design should integrate targeted preconditioning protocols, with attention to cardiorespiratory endurance in females and agility/speed in males.