YPSILANTI - Ty Groce had it all going right for him on the basketball court during his senior year at Ypsilanti Lincoln.

He was a match-up nightmare against opponents, averaging 17.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.4 blocks and 3.4 steals per game. The 6-foot-7 forward earned Class A all-state honors and had a scholarship to play at Northeastern University.

But away from the gym was a different story. Groce was trapped inside his own mind, always feeling sad and depressed without understanding why. Then, Groce's emotions reached a tipping point during the first week he was at Northeastern in the summer of 2016.

"Starting at the beginning of my senior year, I was feeling sad and was always down for no reason," Groce said. "As my senior year progressed, it just got worse and worse. Toward graduation, I was dealing with a lot of stress and anxiety and didn't really know what the problem was.

"When I left for Northeastern, I just crashed. I felt like I was losing my mind there. I was just sad all the time for no reason, couldn't focus on the gym, couldn't focus on my summer classes."

Suddenly, basketball became an afterthought. Groce's main priority was getting his life back on track.

COMING HOME

Groce, who turns 19 May 27, transferred to Eastern Michigan and moved home before he ever stepped on the court for Northeastern. He put playing basketball on hold and focused on getting help.

Groce was diagnosed with major depression and bipolar disorder last fall and immediately began therapy.

Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It affects about 6.7 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of American.

Bipolar is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function.

Fast forward to April and Groce already has seen positive results battling the illnesses.

"I have never felt better," he said. "I feel almost 100 percent now. Since I came home, I got help immediately, so I've been working with my therapist and nurse practitioner. Since then, I have been getting better and better each day. I feel great now."

The road to recovery was a long one for Groce, and it didn't start until he hit the nadir of his life.

When transferring to EMU, the Ypsilanti native thought since he was back at home that he was healthy enough to play basketball for the Eagles. But his depression continued to get worse, and he quit the team in September.

The more he was depressed, the more he secluded himself from the outside world, avoiding interaction with his peers as much as he could. He did not have motivation to go to class, or do much of anything else.

In a one-month span, he was hospitalized twice because of anxiety attacks and depression.

"The doctor said I was suicidal one of the times," Groce said candidly. "I was really struggling with just being happy with life. Not just in basketball, but life period.

"It was scary. I knew I would never be the type of person to take my own life, but it was really tough. It's hard to explain what people go through when they have depression. Not a lot of people understand it unless they have it. It was just tough battling your own mind, fighting yourself all of the time."

Back on track with seventh-grade phenom

Groce felt like he was constantly in the ring fighting against himself, and he had nobody in his corner to help him through it. That changed in October.

Groce's mother, Marian Groce, who has raised him by herself since he was a young child, has been his No. 1 supporter, he said. His support system continued to grow, including former coaches and some new faces.

One of those new faces was Emoni Bates, an Ypsilanti native who is the top-ranked seventh-grade basketball player in the country.

Bates, a 6-foot-6 forward who averaged 40 points for Clague Middle School in Ann Arbor this season, approached Groce at a Lincoln football game in October to pick his mind about basketball.

The conversation led to Bates asking Groce if he wanted to work out with him and his dad Elgin, who runs Bates Fundamentals Elite Basketball Training.

They began training together at least once a week, and Emoni's passion for the game and his dedication to get better quickly began rubbing off on Groce.

"He is the reason why I fell back in love with basketball," Groce said. "When I quit the team, I thought for a while my basketball career was done due to my mental health. That's when I met Emoni. Being with him, working out with him, watching him, how much passion he has for the game, it made me fall back in love with basketball. It's been fun playing with him."

Elgin said he was happy to help Groce train, but wanted him to know he also was there for him if he needed anything else.

"He said he struggled with depression issues, so I just told him I got his back," Elgin said. "If something is not feeling right, just call me. He is a great kid - a 'Yes ma'am, no ma'am kid. He is very respectful, carries himself the right way.

"We are rooting for him to do great things because he has the potential to do great things. If he wants to be a pro, he has the potential to be one. Once he can get over this hurdle, I can see him doing it."

Elgin is not the only one to rave about Groce's talent. Lincoln boys basketball coach Jesse Davis, who coached Groce his senior season, said he is the most talented player he has ever coached.

Groce's skills paired with his mild-mannered temperament made it hard for anyone to see he was depressed, Davis said.

"He is always even-keeled, never up or down, so I could never tell if he was depressed," Davis said. "Once he got back (from Northeastern), he revealed to me he was dealing with depression.

"I understand guys coming home because they get home sick, but I have never seen someone come home as fast as he did. I wasn't disappointed because I know he has to be healthy to be successful on the court. If he needed to be back here and be around more supportive people, then that's OK. I am still proud of him. I think he is still good enough to play at the next level, maybe even pro if he can get everything together."

Staying involved with EMU

Groce's talent is part of the reason why EMU never gave up on him. Although he quit the team, the door remained open to be a part of the program once he was healthy again.

"He is really being tremendously brave with his willingness to share his personal bitterness and challenges that he's going through," Mike Brown, former EMU associate head coach who is no longer with the program, told MLive in February. "I recruited him, spent a lot of time recruiting him since even before he started his junior year of high school. When he decided to leave Northeastern, him and his mother contacted me and spoke with us. Obviously, we were really happy to have him. He is a tremendous talent, a very gifted basketball player and a great kid from a great family.

"We knew what he was struggling with and dealing with some things. I think it was just a bit much for him early on, so he did take a leave of absence but he returned to the team in the spring and have four years to play."

Groce attended nearly every EMU home game during the past season and has gotten to know many of the players. The hard work he has put in the past six months - training five days a week, routine therapy, focusing in the classroom - came to fruition this month, when he signed his scholarship papers for next season.

"I just can't wait to play basketball again, man," Groce said. "I've made some good relationships with the players already. I don't know the whole team is aware (of his depression), but the ones who do know have been really supportive."

Staying healthy still a process

Although Groce is getting healthier by the day, there are still hurdles to overcome. He said anxiety and depression still creep up on occasion, but he has learned to apply coping methods to help him through difficult times.

"Now that I have been through it, I have been taught how to control my feelings," Groce said. "When I know my sad feelings are coming, I know it is something I can control. I was born with it and just have to get through it. Can't let it stress my mind."

Groce also has received support from his paternal half-brother and sister, whom he just recently met. His father also reentered his life.

"With my dad not being in my life, that could have been the problem too," Groce said of his depression. "I'm not sure if that's what caused my depression, but he hasn't been in my life. I recently got in contact with him, and once I did, I was introduced to my brother and sister.

"They are definitely my brother and sister, because we connected immediately. It was a lonely experience being an only child."

Groce said he wouldn't be where he is today without the continued support from those closest to him. Getting help might not have saved his life, but it helped him turn it around.

"The first thing you should do is look to get help," Groce said of anyone who might be struggling with depression. "Reach out to somebody. I just want people to know there is nothing wrong with reaching out. Before, I was unaware of what was going on and thought it was normal to be sad all day.

"But now, every day is better and better. I've been positive, been working harder and am in the best shape of my life."