But with his departure to the NBA, the question and concerns of many coming into the 2012-13 campaign remained fairly obvious: Who would replace Day-Day?

Since naming senior center Derrick Nix and sophomore guard Russell Byrd as co-team captains at the team’s media day in October, head coach Tom Izzo has seen leadership emerge from several different places across the roster.

One who continues to grow into the role, both by his performance on the court and vocal aptitude, is junior guard Keith Appling, which is a fact that is acknowledged by others, including Nix. Moving out from the shadow of Green, Nix said Appling has grown into a formidable leader for the No. 13 Spartans (5-1).

“(Appling) was a pretty quiet guy last year, and I was, too, and so was everybody else because Day-Day said everything, and he meant it,” Nix said. “He just changed his personality a lot. He’s stepped outside of the box and did it for the better of the team, but it’s also helped his game out, just being more vocal and leading people.”

With several young guards on the roster including Denzel Valentine, Gary Harris and Travis Trice, Appling continues to mature from the soft-spoken kid from Detroit Pershing High School into a much more visible force on the team. As Harris and Trice recently have missed time due to injuries, Appling has been forced to step up, averaging a team-high 16.8 points per game in more than 36 minutes of playing time a night.

“Without Gary, I feel like I have to make more things happen when the ball is in my hand — whether it be a shot for myself or a shot for my teammates,” Appling said. “With him being gone, I’ve had to do a lot more of that, but other guys stepped up. (Sophomore guard Branden Dawson’s) made some big plays, (junior center) Adreian (Payne’s) made some big plays and Nix has made some big plays. Other guys have stepped up while they’ve been gone, so I guess it’s all worked out for the best.”

Having the opportunity to mentor a stable of talented guards — players such as Drew Neitzel and Mateen Cleaves — during his 17 years as head coach, Izzo sees many of the same qualities within Appling. As Appling continues to mature, Izzo said he has the potential to emulate another great guard in Spartan lore.

“There’s a kid (who’s) been a closest thing to a Morris Peterson, who I think has grown as a person,” Izzo said. “Still not the most talkative kid. But he’s so much better. In meetings, he says stuff. He’ll call people out. If he keeps on, that kid’s going to be really good.”