Can Killingly boys basketball find success in the post-Yianni era?

There were a lot of question marks for the Killingly boys basketball team entering the 2023-24 season.

A year ago, Killingly reached the Mohegan Sun where they fell short against Griswold in the ECC Division II tournament championship game. Killingly regrouped and came one basket away from an appearance in the state semifinals, losing a heartbreaker to eventual state champion Waterbury Career Academy in the Division III quarterfinals.

Now, the post-Yianni Baribeau era has arrived in Killingly. Baribeau, who last season became the first player in program history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds, took his talents to Nichols College (Dudley, Mass.) after graduation.

Baribeau’s cousin, talented junior guard Johnny Kazantzis, was returning. But the “Yianni and Johnny” show was on reruns and Killingly needed some quick answers after an early three-game losing streak.

They may have found some after last Friday’s huge home win against Bacon Academy.

Powered by double-double performances from Kazantzis (17 points and 10 rebounds) and sophomore center Quinn Sumner (15 points and 13 rebounds), and a game-high 19 points from freshman guard Quin Crowley, Killingly snapped a three-game skid with a resounding 68-44 victory against the Bobcats.

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“I liked the energy and the way that we found a little bit more scoring from other people,” Killingly coach Jim Crabtree said. “We were active and everyone showed some hunger.”

Sumner’s performance was just what Killingly needed. Sumner, who quarterbacked Killingly’s football team to a Class L playoff berth last fall, was seeing more minutes in the junior varsity games. Things changed against Bacon.

“(Demetrious) Thornton has been playing great for us but it was time to make a move to a bigger body in the post,” Crabtree said. “We decided we had to go with somebody who’s a little more skilled in scoring as a big.”

With Sumner jumping at center, Crabtree’s starting lineup against Bacon featured two juniors (Lincoln Waterman and Kazantzis), two sophomores (Michael Fabiano and Sumner) and a freshman (Crowley).

Killingly hit the Bobcats with an 8-0 run after intermission. Sumner threaded a pass to Ashton Goodwin for a layup, Goodwin then found Fabiano (seven points) in the low post for another hoop, Crowley converted a floater, and then Kazantzis delivered a pass to Sumner in the low post to give Killingly some breathing room with a 44-26 lead.

Crabtree expected his club to have some growing pains during the first year without Baribeau. Kazantzis, one of the top players in the ECC, was still providing a scorer’s punch but Killingly suffered losses against Woodstock Academy (twice), Tourtellotte, Griswold and Stonington and were 2-5 when the Bobcats arrived in the Quiet Corner.

“We’ve had a little rough stretch and I think we played the hardest we played all year tonight, which is a good thing,” Crabtree said.

Late in the third quarter, Kazantzis converted a conventional three-point play and Crowley added another low post hoop for a 57-37 advantage.

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“It feels really good to get back on track,” Kazantzis said. “I feel like if I help us play as a team, we’re going to be ultimately better.”

Crabtree noted how his club executed by making that “one extra pass.”

“When Johnny is getting assists, we are a much better team,” Crabtree said. “Everyone in the league knows Johnny can score. It’s no surprise when he shoots a three and goes to the rim. But when he dishes and gets others involved, we can be competitive with anybody.”

Coming off an 18-7 season, a trip to the Mohegan Sun, and a great showing in the state tournament, Kazantzis still has high expectations this season.

“It’s a young team and we’re definitely going to get better as the year goes on,” Kazantzis said. “We have great chemistry. Our goals are to make the state playoffs and make a run  and try to go to the ECC championship again.”

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Killingly boys basketball looks for success post Yianni Baribeau