“Best basketball indoor for college.”
That would be easier to find if you didn’t have so many options to choose from, right?
In my time of research, I thought to myself, “wow, I haven’t seen this many balls since College!”
Going back 2 or 3 years ago, I was in the same shoes as you. My college had basketballs that were horrible and uncomfortable to use. My friends would bring in their own, and we’d always argue about which one to play with.
What I’ve learned was that picking the right one wasn’t important. But, having at least a high-quality indoor basketball by your side motivated people to spend more time on an indoor court for more experience.
If you like to have fun while being competitive, then the ones on this list are right for you!
And did you know that basketball was made as an indoor sport to keep athletes inside during the harsh winter?
It took me a very long time to compile this list, but these are the basketballs that I think are best for collegiate players. I am expecting this article to provide you with just the right answer for your needs.
What to Consider Before Picking the Best Basketball Indoor for College
These balls combined with great shooting and dribbling mechanics will help you eliminate those side and improve ball handling transforming you into a basketball T-Rex.
The Size and Cost of an Indoor Basketball
Picking the right size of a basketball is very important as it can have a huge effect on a player’s game. At the college level, it is your job to check the listings for official game balls.
In my personal experience, great shooting and dribbling mechanics are developed through muscle memory. This is key to becoming a basketball Rex, so sticking to one size will help you a lot as each size ball has a different weight.
Here are the two sizes for collegiate players:
Size 6 – Official game ball for Female collegiate players up to the WNBA with a 28.5-inch circumference (72 centimeters). Typical weight = 20 ounces.
Size 7 – Official game ball for Male collegiate player’s up to the NBA with a 29.5-inch circumference (75 centimeters). Typical weight = 22 ounces.
Indoor composite leather or real leather basketballs are the most expensive on the market. You might be able to find the best basketball indoor for less than $50 or £40, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. The best one’s come at 50 to well over 100 pounds and dollars.
Out of both genuine leather and composite leather basketballs, real leather is the most expensive. In the end game, the most common factor that determines the cost of a basketball is material. Higher quality equals more expensive.
Composite (not real) Leather
This material provides the player with additional grip and a very nice soft feel. Being made tough, they are also delicate for indoor use. Composite leather is a popular choice amongst collegiate players of all levels.
In comparison to genuine leather, most indoor composite leather balls have smoother surfaces and are much softer. However, whichever ball you pick from this list, they’re all high-quality basketballs.
The composite leather material decides how a ball bounces and feels in the player’s hands, making skills like shooting, dribbling, and passing much more fun and enjoyable, leading to a better time with improving.
There are lots of different composite leather balls out there with advanced technologies to suit player’s needs. Why composite leather, you ask? It means they can mass produce lots of different basketballs from this material.
Let me assure you that almost all indoor composite leather balls are ready to go straight out of the box without needing to be broken into.
Genuine (real) Leather
The material alone can be a player’s number one reason for picking the best basketball indoor for college. Genuine leather provides you with a true grip as well as a nice soft feel. But it feels a little slick straight out of the box.
100 percent leather balls do their best work on hard-wood indoor courts because of their softness. Even though it’s a softer material, it becomes softer once broken into. This takes a few weeks or even months, depending on how much time you spend playing.
Once fully broken into, it’s hard to compare the abilities to composite leather balls, which is why real leather is used for professional leagues like the NBA or international FIBA, making it the perfect choice for elite players.
In general, real leather is a lot more comfortable than composite leather but is a lot more expensive. Due to the higher price, they are much tougher and harder than those composite leather balls.
Full-grain leather can also help you out a lot with components like agility instead of speed, as speed doesn’t quite dominate the collegiate level as it does with high school (secondary school).
Fun fact: The smell of genuine leather is just the best like you’re part of a leather jacket motorcycle gang or something.
Grip & Feel
Since both the materials above are soft, it means they’re much grippier too! For instance, composite leather balls have great grip from the start, and when entering the breakthrough period of a real leather ball, the grip becomes unmatchable.
Depending on the channels’ width and depth, it makes a lot of difference to shooting and dribbling the best basketball indoor. For example, basketballs with deeper channels can help a player shoot better by aligning the fingertips with its black strips.
Also, moisture and sweaty hands will always be a problem for any ball, slightly worsening the grip throughout games or practice.
Some basketballs come with moisture absorbent technology minimizing this problem as much as possible for better grip and control over the ball.
Grip alone can take your skills to the next level but feel is more important. If you don’t become one with the ball, shooting and dribbling will feel off.
The most important factor to consider in combination with grip is the feel. The best basketball indoor needs a good balance between the two for you to have comfort and enjoyability when using the ball in games or practice.
By having a great feel of the basketball, it will lead to a better bounce. If you want to go with a genuine leather ball, its breathtaking feel will make it so much easier to use, providing you with a nice soft touch once fully broken into. But, if you’re going with a composite leather choice, they feel great straight out of the packaging.
Durability
Since these materials are meant to be soft, it means they’re designed to withstand any indoor court, not gravel, concrete or blacktop, etc., elements that rip the basketball’s material apart.
Genuine leather is more brittle than composite leather, so using the more expensive material outdoors would be an even worse idea.
Because the indoor basketballs on this list are made from high-quality material, you won’t have to worry about durability.
Here are some things you should avoid:
- Kicking the basketball (this will hurt your foot…. a lot)
- Bouncing the ball off a wall (causes lumps)
- Bouncing the ball outside when patrolling around the college.
Cleaning your ball will also make it last longer (check out my other articles for more in-depth caretaking). Using a bucket of warm soapy water and a cloth, cleaning all the dust and dirt off it, and taking immediate action to dry it will help any ball last longer.
Spalding NBA Official Game Ball
This is the NBA’s official game ball (National Basketball Association) and a great choice for elite collegiate players who like to visualize themselves playing in the NBA. Spalding has put over three decades into this ball…three decades! Making it the most high-quality ball on the market.
Important note: It only comes in size 7, so not the best choice for Female collegiate players.
My first pick is made with 100% real genuine Horween (horsehide) leather, making this ball super expensive, being priced between $100-$150 or £100-£150. It may take some time getting used to if you’ve never experienced real leather before but becomes butter soft within a few weeks or months.
The Spalding NBA ball has wide channels providing you with an all-natural grip but is a bit slick at the beginning. Depending on how many weeks or months you spend playing with this basketball, once it’s fully broken into, the grip becomes unmatchable.
This genuine leather basketball absorbs sweat better than most composite leather balls do, maintaining the best grip possible no matter what environment you’re in.
However, there are balls out there with a much better grip than this one. But, with great shooting and dribbling mechanics, Its grip will still help out tremendously. If you’re looking for a basketball that’s much more focused on feel than grip, then this is the best choice for you.
Its amazing “second nature” feel will be observed as rough at the beginning for some players. But after being broken into, it feels nice and soft due to the Spalding NBA Official Game ball’s leather material and wider rubber channels, making you one with the ball.
Combining this indoor basketball with some of the best sweat absorption technology out there gives the player a great balance between grip and feel. When sweat and moisture get onto it, the same level of grip and feel is maintained throughout.
Do not get fooled by this indoor basketball’s heavy feel, as it is very lightweight, coming in at just half a kilo to provide you with much better control. This ball is loved so much by NBA players because of its natural and amazing feel.
If you put grip and feel on a balance scale, feel would certainly outweigh grip, making this the best basketball indoor on this list.
Any genuine leather will outlast most of the best basketballs out there, lasting you decades or even centuries! (in a metaphoric way).
Genuine leather makes for a tough basketball giving the Spalding NBA official ball the best indoor durability once it’s fully broken into.
Although tough, it will die down very quickly when used outdoors because real leather is designed to withstand, by the skin of one’s teeth, indoor floors. Also, don’t forget to take good care of it!
Due to it being lightweight, it gives the player an easier time with control over the ball. This leads to a great reliable bounce and better ball handling experience. As it is the official ball of the NBA, it has the highest bounce consistency out there. With an awesome leveled bounce, the ball will go wherever you want it to.
I recommend inflating the best basketball indoor to an 8PSI (pounds per square inch). Being already inflated upon arrival means you don’t have to worry about pumping it up. Also, since you won’t need a ball pump, it shows how great its air retention is as there’s no air leakage or anything of that matter.
Spalding TF-1000 Classic ZK
In Canada and the USA, this basketball is the most popular amongst all players and one of the finest out there because of its high quality. It is also a great choice for Female collegiate players as Spalding is the official WNBA basketball, coming in at a size 6 and 7. This one comes in at around $50 or £80.
A little word of warning, the original Spalding TF-1000 was better, but this one is almost as good. Some people have said this ball isn’t as high quality as the old one, which used to be the best basketball indoor for college. I say there’s not much difference between the two, and most people would agree.
It comes with a complete Spalding ZK Microfiber outer cover, having the hardest composite leather in existence. The glossy look of this TF-1000 model will put some people off, along with its darker colour. However, it has a much higher quality cover than the original.
Although tacky initially, this indoor basketball has an outstanding level of grip due to the “ZK Microfiber” cover. Grip alone will take any collegiate player’s game to the next level. When the moisture control technology (MCT) kicks in, the ball becomes easier to grip to make things better.
Keep in mind; it’s not like a normal composite leather basketball. Its grip will take a few weeks or even a month to fully kick in but do not worry as it’s still exceptional from the beginning.
The Spalding TF-1000 provides you with a great soft feel (not the softest) with moisture control technology, making it feel more consistent. Yet, some players have said, it feels similar to that of a rubber ball, whereas most think it still has a quality feel.
The reason why its softness isn’t the softest is that some said it feels a bit on the rough side with a dry tacky feel. The “tacky” feel on the ball only occurs at the beginning, becoming unnoticeable overtime.
When looking at this basketball’s channels, a standard rubber design has been used, and they aren’t too wide nor deep to maximize ball control.
Some people have made complaints about this ball arriving damaged. When this happens, please take a deep breath and return the ball to swap it for a new up to date one.
As this one is an indoor basketball, keep to just using it indoors. When comparing this basketball’s indoor durability to the older model, this newer material outlasts the older material by a longshot.
Material is the only thing they’ve changed about this ball as the old model was way too soft and weak. Overall, it will outlive any soft composite leather basketball out there.
Even though this newer model feels different from the older one, it still has a great bounce. For hefty ball handlers who like to pound the ball, this is a great choice for you. It arrives already inflated, but I recommend pumping it up a bit higher than usual.
The standard air pressure is imprinted on the basketball around the area where you insert the pump into. Inflating it between 7.5 and 8.5 PSI (pounds per square inch) is perfect.
It’s a bit inconsistent with air retention, but it’s got a rotationally-balanced butyl bladder, which they’ve said provides ultimate air retention. So, I think you won’t have to use a ball pump often on the Spalding TF-1000.
Baden Perfection Rival
Coming in at an awesome value for your money, this one goes toe-to-toe when it comes to picking the best basketball indoor for college. Baden is the most underrated American company (Washington State) and isn’t as popular amongst the US and UK as Wilson or Spalding. However, it competes well against these brands, which is why it deserves a pick on this list.
This new ball is priced around $40-$50 or £40-£50. It’s also a gender-friendly basketball as it comes with a size 6 for Females and a size 7 for Males. It’s all-around a great indoor basketball for the Elite.
One cool thing about the Baden Rival is you can customize it to have your name engraved on the ball, just in case you lose it. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly basketball with amazing premium quality, this one’s for you.
Combining an advantageous composite leather cover with Baden’s patented Cushion Controlled Technology (CCT) gives you the best possible performance for the collegiate level. Its cover yields a lot of grip without that sticky feel of the Baden Elite (the best basketball indoor for college).
Hands get sweaty easily? Not a problem with this indoor ball. Its moisture-absorbent technology is very nice, almost eliminating this problem, reducing it as much as possible. You will not feel a difference with grip when your hands get sweaty.
Now, the Baden Rival channels aren’t that deep, looking like it’s focused more on feel than grip. Then again, as they’re made from rubber, they provide you with great grip anyway.
Unlike other composite leather covers, this one doesn’t feel slippery when first taking it out of the box as the CCT gives you a super comfortable and pillow-soft feel.
When it comes to feeling overall, the Baden Rival’s extra layer of cushioning is the real deal. Also, this indoor basketball’s panels’ unique construction extends the great balance it has between grip and feel.
Baden’s Cushion Controlled Technology (CCT) gives this basketball an extreme indoor durability level for a longer-lasting life, assuming you take good care of it.
The Baden Rival has a very reliable and consistent bounce due to its channels (not too wide nor deep). Whether you’re a shooter or a ball-handler, the Baden Rival is perfect for both.
The main feature that it comes with is something called a “stealth valve.” Being almost invisible, it improves the bounce whilst keeping the air into the max. I recommend pumping this bad boy up to a 7 PSI (pounds per square inch).
Molten BG4500
First of all, I’d like to say that Molten provides only the best basketballs for FIBA (French International Basketball Federation). FIBA governs the sport of basketball worldwide. This particular one is FIBA approved and the newest official ball for FIBA.
Molten is also a Japanese brand and is a trendy international ball, but not so popular amongst colleges in America and the US. Once again, this one is a friend to both genders as it comes with a size 6 and a size 7.
However, Molten basketballs are smaller than indoor US basketballs. This is a very high-quality indoor basketball ranging between £40-£70 or $50-$100.
The Molten BG4500 is made up of a nice premium composite leather cover and has a foamed rubber construction. Molten have used their 12-panel Giugiaro design on this ball, so collegiate players will see how many spins they’re putting on the ball, and they’ll have an easier time with dribbling moves too.
That, and it’s designed to look like an “X” from the side to judge spin better and to see where the ball goes during a rebound.
What’s so different about this one compared to previous Molten makes? They’ve added on an extra foamed layer, which makes this indoor basketball nice and soft.
It possesses almost the same valuable grip as a genuine leather basketball without a pesky “break-in” period. Having a 12-panel design provides you with a lot more grip and control than the old 8-panel design.
It maintains great grip with sweaty hands and moisture since the depth of the surface texture wipes it clean off, and its moisture control technology is one of the best. This allows you to get buckets at a consistent rate.
Although there are basketballs out there with much better grip, this one provides you with one of the best grip factors out there, and you can for sure rely on it to not slip out of your hands.
If you choose to buy this indoor basketball, you will not believe it’s made out of composite leather as it almost feels like real genuine leather. Because of the high-quality butyl bladder used on this ball, the feel is enhanced greatly, leading to a much better bounce.
It feels firmer than previous makes of Molten but still has a great softness to it. Overall, the balance between grip and feel on this ball is perfect.
The Molten BG4500 is not as durable as the others on this list but still has great overall indoor durability. Cleaning this basketball is a must as it collects dust easier than any other ball.
This won’t be much of a problem, though, as sweat and moisture will easily wipe the dust off. Also, as long as you take care of the ball, it will last you a very long time.
Its bounce will be a bit off-putting at first, but that will be because you’re not used to playing with a foreign ball. If you give it a chance, the bounce will feel more consistent and reliable as time goes on.
A problem with previous Molten series basketballs was that they didn’t hold air in very well. Since they made this one with an indestructible butyl bladder, I guarantee you it won’t be a problem. I recommend inflating it somewhere between 7.5 or 8.5 PSI (pounds per square inch).
Correct Mechanics = Better Performance With the Best Basketball Indoor for College
The best technique to use for eliminating side misses? Your Eyes. Knowing how to use them is key for a straighter shot, never blaming the ball for your brick ever again.
Think of it like math’s back in school. The teachers made you show your work for you to check yourself.
To improve your shooting technique, you need to use your eyes the proper way to acquire “feedback” on any ball from this list, by checking yourself every time you shoot. This is done by following the path of the ball.
First, see your target (the middle of the rim). Then, after you shoot or just as you shoot, check the ball’s flight and the release to check if it’s straight.
Having your chin up will allow for an easier time glancing upwards when shooting the basketball. Many collegiate coaches teach players to stare at the rim, which will damage their shot.
This causes you to blame the ball for your miss. Staring at the rim will not help and won’t get you any feedback on your shot. There should be no movement of your head, just your eyes.
To correct your right and left misses, make sure your finger is through the rim. Try FTF:
Follow the Finger.
This is going to help keep you straight on every shot.
Here are the two options:
Eyes going up AS you shoot – During the shot, you come up with the ball, whilst your eyes are locked onto the target (middle of the rim). As you go to extend the ball, the eyes go up, and then you release. This allows you to check your alignment by keeping your eyes up after you release, seeing the ball’s flight and the release, making sure they align with the rim.
Eyes going up AFTER you shoot – This is the same. You extend up, eyes locked onto the target (middle of the rim), and when the ball comes off your fingers, your eyes flick up to check the flight of the ball and the release, making sure they align with the rim.
The Final Run Down: Which One Is The Best Basketball Indoor for College?
I have done an article on what I think is the best basketball indoor for college, so make sure to check it out.
Having the correct mechanics will always be more important than choosing the right basketball.
But, I think the best one on this list is the Spalding NBA Official game ball. This is the best choice for indoor use. It has the best grip when compared to the others on this list. It gives the player an incredible level of feel and overall great control over the ball.
If you want a composite leather version of this basketball, the Spalding TF-1000 is an excellent choice as it’s much cheaper too. If this ball’s quality isn’t up to date, don’t hesitate to swap it for a newer one.
If you want an even better value for your money, the Baden Rival is an amazing all-around basketball, good for both Male and Female collegiate players.
If you like a bit of a foreign taste, the Molten BG4500 goes well with the “eyes” technique and has some of the best air retentions out there.
When all is said and done: Pick the one you find is best, and you’ll have a fun and enjoyable time improving to become a basketball Rex.
As always, happy balling!
