▁would ▁replace ▁Valent ine ▁in ▁the ▁starting ▁line up ▁and ▁be ▁counted ▁on ▁to ▁step ▁up ▁his ▁production ▁in ▁Valent ine ' s ▁absence . ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁the ▁Spart ans ▁faced ▁Oak land ▁in ▁A ub urn ▁Hills . ▁The ▁Spart ans ▁tra iled ▁Oak land ▁by ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 1 5 ▁and ▁tra iled ▁by ▁ 1 3 ▁at ▁the ▁half . ▁The ▁Spart ans ▁r al lied ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁lead , ▁but ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁over time ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁win , ▁out last ing ▁Oak land ▁ 9 9 – 9 3 . ▁Bry n ▁For bes ▁led ▁the ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁Spart ans ▁without ▁Valent ine , ▁scoring ▁ 3 2 ▁points ▁and ▁Er on ▁Harris ▁added ▁ 2 7 . ▁The ▁win ▁set ▁the ▁record ▁for ▁best ▁start ▁to ▁a ▁season ▁for ▁Michigan ▁State ▁at ▁ 1 3 – 0 ▁and ▁marked ▁an ▁und efe ated ▁non - con ference ▁schedule . ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 8 , ▁Tom ▁Iz zo ' s ▁father , ▁Carl , ▁died ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 9 0 . ▁Carl ▁and ▁Iz zo ' s ▁mother , ▁Dor othy , ▁were ▁common ▁faces ▁around ▁the ▁Michigan ▁State ▁program . ▁They ▁each ▁accompanied ▁him ▁on ▁NCAA ▁Tournament ▁tri ps ▁over ▁the ▁years . ▁ ▁Big ▁Ten ▁regular ▁season ▁ ▁December ▁ ▁The ▁Spart ans ▁started ▁the ▁Big ▁Ten ▁regular ▁season ▁still ▁without ▁Valent ine ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 9 ▁by ▁visit