Rewind to the summer of 2020 and recently graduated Crow Creek senior Teron Sazue was on top of the world. Sazue was coming off a senior season where the Chieftains qualified for the state basketball tournament (Didn't get play, COVID) and Sazue was an integral cog on the All-Nations Championship football team.
The World was HIS oyster as Sazue packed up and left to start the next chapter of his life as a student and basketball player at United Tribes Technical College in Bismarck.
One problem, Sazue wasn't ready.
"I went home towards the end of December because I wasn't prepared for school honestly," he said. "I just had so much freedom and didn't know how to use it correctly."
All that free time caused some problems.
"I ended up going down a long road on a bad path," he said. "I got to drinking and that threw me off track."
While Sazue continued to attend practice he stopped going to class completely.
Sazue's weight ballooned to 260 lbs. where he said he had a hard time just grabbing the rim.
And then things got worse when Sazue hit another vehicle while intoxicated and not paying attention on December 22nd.
"That ruined everything," Sazue said. "I'll be paying for the damage for that night for the next five years."
Sazue got lucky.
He didn't hurt anyone else, he didn't hurt himself and he didn't get a DUI.
"They looked at my record and they let it go but they told me if it ever happens again they'll have no choice but to charge me," he said.
While everyone else was enjoying the Holidays Sazue calls his next 30 days the slowest of his life.
"After I hit rock bottom I got really depressed and stressed out," he said.
Depressed, what's that?
"I didn't know what depressed was," he said. "I didn't feel great that whole first semester but I'd always been happy so I didn't understand why I was feeling the way I did."
Upon arrival back in Stephan, Sazue went to sweat.
But, he didn't stop drinking, yet
"I didn't know what depressed was until one day when I talked to my mom," he said.
Actually, Sazue had been out drinking, AGAIN and his mom, Maria Provost, got after her oldest son.
"We had a 'MOTHER/son' talk and I broke down and told her I needed help," he said.
I NEED HELP, sometimes the best three words someone in pain can conjure.
The family sought professional mental health services in their area. Turns out Sazue was diagnosed with a Major Depressive Disorder.
While the diagnosis made some sense to the struggling young man, Sazue feels like the alcohol changed him as a person.
"I feel like drinking that much the alcohol made me like that," he said. "I was drinking all the time, not working out, getting out of shape and sitting around sad and eating all the time."
Sazue was prescribed an anti-depressant. He calls them happy pills and about once a month he checks back in with a counselor to make sure he's on the right track.
"Counseling helps a lot, it gets things off your chest and mind," he said. "I just needed a little help to get me out of that rut. I'm still fighting but it isn't as bad as it was."
Sazue knows the stats from his Reservation: Go to school, drop out, rarely go back.
That was never Teron Sazue's plan.
"Every since I got in trouble the plan was to got back," he said. "I wasted a lot of money. When I go back I plan on taking everything seriously like I should have the first time."
Working at his old high school, Sazue has become a fan of the gym and paying attention to his diet. As noted when Sazue was at United Tribes he could barely grab the rim. He says he's added 9-10 inches to his vertical and is on the edge of throwing down a 'Windmill' Dunk.
He's a rock-hard 210 pounds now and a guy who says dunking is 'effortless.'
He's become a student of his own workout fortunes.
"Throughout high school, I never worked out. I did some bodybuilding with my mom," he said. "Now I'm actually watching basketball workouts that help you to find max athleticism on the court."
Speaking of athletes, Sazue isn't waiting around to guard the 5 position anymore.
"I'm way more in shape than I was in high school," he said "My game has improved a lot and I can actually play like a G and guard the 1& 2 instead of just the 5."
Sazue's tested the goods on the court.
"I've been playing a lot with my uncle COOP," Sazue said. "He took me to a pro-am in Montana where we got 5th against ex D1 athletes and players that have played overseas."
News last week that former Pine Ridge prep Charles Schrader is transferring to United Tribes. Sazue will be joining Schrader, Riyen Carlow and former Crow Creek teammate Luke Wells next fall.
"It's going to be fun," Sazue said. "We have so much talent we just have to click so we can get to the national tournament."
Growing up Sazue's mother constantly told him that alcohol is never the answer.
"I never understood that until I went through my problems," he said. "My party days are basically over I just want to be healthy."
So, why on earth would a young man that's been through some shit share his story?
"I feel like there are a lot of people like me that miss home and struggle while at college," he said. "I want them to know that its ok to not be ok and that eventually you can work through everything life throws at you."
To Any High School Athletes Sazue says this:
"Stay Humble and Disciplined and GRIND like there is no tomorrow."
This story is courtesy of Rich Winter of Sacred Hoops Basketball.