Idaho Basketball announced on April 29 the signing of Ryan Lafferty, a 6-foot-5 guard transferring from the University of St. Thomas in the Summit League. Lafferty, who is originally from Spokane, graduated from Mt. Spokane High School in 2024 after a successful high school career.
The addition of Lafferty continues Idaho’s focus on recruiting top talent from the northwest region. During his time at Mt. Spokane, he was named the 2023-24 Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association AAA State Player of the Year and Greater Spokane League Most Valuable Player. He also earned First Team All-State and First Team All-League honors while leading his team to a combined record of 47-9 over two years.
Lafferty played as a freshman at St. Thomas, appearing in 21 games and recording a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds against Crown College—a single-game rebounding record for St. Thomas in its Division I era. He shot over fifty percent from the field during that season and helped his team secure wins against Big Sky opponents Portland State, Northern Colorado, and Montana.
As a sophomore, Lafferty played in eleven games for St. Thomas, nearly doubling his average minutes per game compared to his freshman year while maintaining solid shooting percentages and contributing on both ends of the court.
Head coach Alex Pribble said about Lafferty: “Ryan is a leader and a winner,” said the head coach. “He has a terrific energy about him, and he has all the physical tools to be an immediate impact player. He is a local kid who had a terrific high school career at Mt. Spokane. He is a two-way guy who competes at a high level on both ends of the court. Ryan will be a leader in our program and in this community. He is a terrific young man.”
Lafferty becomes Idaho’s fourth transfer signee this offseason alongside Kase Wynott (Washington State), Diego Trejo-Delgado (Saint Martin’s), and Hudson Ward (Western Michigan).
