Prospect Spotlight: Ryan Dolphin (2022)

Pleasant Valley’s 5-foot-7 point guard Ryan Dolphin has shown signs that he could be among Iowa’s most skilled young players.

Despite his small stature, Dolphin, a freshman, is able to be a primary playmaker with his tight handle, high IQ and ability to shoot.

“I like to get my teammates involved, communicate and be a leader out there and knock down open shots when I can,” said Dolphin. “And I also like to look for my big guys down low, and that’s pretty much it.”

As a freshman with Pleasant Valley, which is traditionally one of the state’s stronger programs, Dolphin got a little bit of playing time. His job was to help prop up the senior stars, and Dolphin gained valuable experience he’ll use the next three seasons.

“I really wasn’t looking to shoot much, I was looking to get Carter (Duwa) a break now and then and get him off the ball, stuff like that, and then guard and play good defense,” said Dolphin.

“I didn’t shoot the ball very well, but I think it was a great experience playing varsity and it really prepared me for the next three years.”

Dolphin is now spending his spring and summer playing the Iowa Mavericks’ top 15u squad. He’s got a much larger role on that team than he did with the Spartans' varsity last winter.

“With the Mavericks, I look to score a lot more, but still my teammates involved. Things have been going pretty well, we’ve had an up and down season, but we’re coming together,” said Dolphin.

Recruitment: “This summer, I’m not really expecting recruiting and stuff like that, but I’m more just looking to get some confidence up and be able to play well on a consistent basis,” said Dolphin.

“But the next two summers, I’ll obviously be looking for recruitment. It won’t really matter what level, I just want to play in college, so the next two summers and school ball will be very big for me.”