Connecticut has at least three NBA players on its roster, including a center in Hasheem Thabeet who is taller than the Empire State Building and Sears Tower stacked together.

Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and Stanley Robinson give the Huskies one of the best frontcourts in the nation, while guards A.J. Price and Kemba Walker comprise an imposing duo in the backcourt.

In other words, the Huskies are the runaway favorite to defeat the Spartans and advance to the championship game. Summers knows this. He understands the odds are stacked against his team. He understands his team is the underdog.

But then again, he also knows that people have overcome much greater odds in this city. On Saturday, Summers said he will draw inspiration from the city of Detroit when he steps on the court.

“We overcame a lot of adversity, just like the people down in Detroit,” said Summers, who grew up 20 minutes away from Ford Field.

“Despite everything, they are sticking together, and that’s what we’re doing, just trying to find our way to the top.”

Summers and fellow Detroiter Kalin Lucas will do more than draw inspiration from Detroit — they also will look to provide it.

If the Spartans win the championship, the sophomore guards think it would serve as an inspiration to the city.

“We definitely could be an inspiration,” Summers said. “People can look at us and see what hard work can do or being an underdog and not giving up can do.”

Playing for more

In a city that’s seen its unemployment rate swell to a staggering 13.6 percent, Summers hasn’t been immune to the problems.

Two years ago, his father was one of the hundreds of General Motors employees to be laid off by the auto giant.

Around the same time, his mother was laid off from her job as a nurse. She’s now working at a post office.

Those personal experiences game Summers a greater sense of what it would mean for the city if MSU wins.

“The city is kind of on a decline and Michigan State is up on the rise a little bit,” Summers said. “We’re just hoping to bring a little sunlight down there.”

Although Lucas wasn’t affected as adversely by the economy, he’s seen the same things that happened to Summers happen to those around him.

Lucas said the opportunity to take Detroiters’ minds off their problems for even a couple hours makes him want to play harder.

“Growing up in the city is tough,” Lucas said.

“A lot of people are losing jobs and stuff like that, so to have the Final Four in Detroit and to have two of the guys playing at Michigan State from Detroit, I think it’s going to be real big for the city.”

Since arriving in Detroit, junior forward Raymar Morgan said he’s gotten a sense of just how important this game is for the city.

Morgan said MSU fans haven’t been the only ones who have shown their support. He said he’s noticed support from everybody — even some Michigan fans.

“Our fans do a great job of following us wherever but now that we’re in Detroit, it’s a lot easier for them to come here and support us,” Morgan said.

Although Detroiters might be suffering the most, Lucas said the Spartans will be playing for the entire state of Michigan.

“We have the whole city behind our back, we have people from wherever supporting us,” Lucas said.

“There’s going to be a lot of people who want us to win so we have to make sure we hold it down for everybody in Michigan.

“It’s not just Detroit, we’re going to have everybody from Lansing, Oak Park, West Bloomfield, wherever, at the game. As a team we’ve just got to hold it down and leave everybody happy.”