Frewsburg’s Trocki signs with St. Bonaventure

Playing high-level college basketball has always been a dream for Jadyn Trocki.

When the closest Division I program to her Frewsburg home came calling a couple of years ago, it felt like the perfect situation.

The Bears senior guard completed her celebratory signing letter Thursday afternoon to attend St. Bonaventure University and play basketball for the Bonnies beginning next fall.

"Division I has always been the dream, but some DIIs were also in the equation as well," Trocki said Wednesday afternoon. "I wasn't always set on DI. I was always going to choose where I fit best."

Trocki has put together the best individual career in Frewsburg history and with it the Bears have also experienced high levels of success as a team. She is already Frewsburg's all-time leading scorer with 1,796 points and has been named the New York State Sportswriters Association's Class C Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

"A lot of people focus on the skill side of things, but I remember on jayvee she would get really emotional, so for me the fun part has been seeing her mental maturity. Even from the beginning of last season to the end, or during her sophomore year, she would go into a shell," Frewsburg head coach Sierra Beaver said Wednesday. "Last year, I think one of the first things I noticed at North Tonawanda was that things weren't going well in the first half and I remember at halftime, telling Sandy (Ruhlman, Jadyn's mother) we'll see how the season goes based on this second half. If Jadyn goes into a shell we're in trouble, but if she shows maturity, we're going to have a fun season. In the second half she had one of her best games."

Trocki has started every year since eighth grade after being called up to the varsity team for a postseason run at the end of her seventh-grade year.

"Around seventh grade I started taking it more seriously," Trocki said. "I started playing for bigger programs, playing throughout Pittsburgh and Erie. ... It's the one thing I really love."

As an eighth-grader, Trocki averaged 13.7 points, 4.2 steals, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, but Frewsburg lost to Wilson in the sectional quarterfinals. A year later, she posted averages of 19.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5.6 steals and 3.5 rebounds per game as the Bears won the section and advanced to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association semifinals before losing to Duanesburg.

As a sophomore, Trocki averaged 17.5 points, 6.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game.

"St. Bonaventure started recruiting me at the beginning of my sophomore year. That was my first DI offer. I really felt a special connection with them as well," she said, adding about the school's location: "It's pretty important. I want my family, friends and other people to be able to come watch me."

Frewsburg beat Section II's Stillwater 59-44 in the 2025 title game to earn the program's first state championship and Trocki was named the Player of the Year.

"Frewsburg has been a huge part of it. I've been playing on varsity since eighth grade. Mrs. Beaver has been my coach since seventh grade," she said. "They've helped me be seen. My teammates have been a huge part of it as well. I couldn’t do this without them."

The Bears repeated as state champions last year with a 59-52 win over Section II's Greenwich and Trocki was named the state Player of the Year for the second straight season.

"For a small school like us, we were unknown until we made it to states and won two times. There are smaller DI coaches at those state final games. I think that has helped me," she said. "Other teams at states have had good players go Division I or high Division II."

Last spring, Trocki made her verbal commitment to St. Bonaventure.

"It definitely takes a huge weight off my shoulders. The recruiting process is very stressful at times. Opportunities can close because other kids can start committing," she said. "Once I committed, I felt like that was where I was meant to be."

Jim Crowley, who coached St. Bonaventure from 2000-16, returned to the Bonnies in 2023 after a stint at Providence College. In his first stop at St. Bonaventure, he won 258 games and captured six national postseason berths. He was the three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and was ESPN.com's National Coach of the Year in 2012.

"We've prepared her as much as we can in Class C basketball. She's played big, fast and strong competition, and in her AAU program they are playing DI kids," Beaver said. "She'll have to develop her body and get a little stronger with her upper body. She has been putting in time in the weight room and I've noticed improvement in the offseason."

The Bonnies won less than 10 games in Crowley's first two seasons back on the bench before going 17-16 last year, including 7-11 in the Atlantic 10.

"There are no freshman commits with me that I know," Trocki said. "I don’t know anybody on the team personally, but I've met them already. They are so nice and I love every single one of them."

And needless to say, the St. Bonaventure cheering section will probably grow by a couple dozen next season with Trocki on campus.

"A couple of the ball girls have her phone number and send her video updates of them playing basketball. They definitely look up to her. She's helped create state championships, but a player of her caliber also creates excitement for the younger kids. A lot of them play AAU and they'll be on the bench with us again this year," Beaver said. "Being able to watch her success at St. Bonaventure will help our program grow. Had she gone far away, watching on TV maybe wouldn't keep them as hungry, but to go down the road 45 minutes and watch her at the next level will keep them wanting to develop their games."