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It's easy to point out the things Aaron Toomey can't do — dunk, get the casual fan out of his seat, reach tall shelves without using his tiptoes. While you're working on that list, the 6-foot-2 guard will keep beating you.

Bishop McGuinness lost 10 players from last year's state champion, but Toomey, the Villains' title game MVP, is still pulling the program along like a tugboat chugging upstream. He topped 40 points for the fourth time earlier this week, and his steady hand has helped the Villains regain their balance after a shaky start. They're riding a seven-game win streak and sit 10-4 overall, second in the Northwest 1-A/2-A, heading into a Saturday meeting with Forest City Chase in the MLK Holiday Hoops Classic at East Rutherford High School.

"He does things I only dream about," said his father, Kevin, who played at St. Bonaventure. "It's God-given. Any coach who's had him will tell you he's a unique basketball player. There are taller, quicker kids out there, but if you asked coaches who they'd pick as their point guard, I don't think they'd hesitate."

Toomey knew full well that his familiar supporting cast would be gone this year, but when the first few games rolled around and he was accounting for 80 percent of the team's scoring, the scope of the project became clear.

"It's definitely a different thing, not better or worse," Toomey said. "It was just a confidence level for these guys, believing they can play at this level."

It's a little more democratic now. Toomey scored 41 points in an 82-70 win over East Surry on Monday, but he got help from players like Michael Banks, Steve Marrujo, Atticus Lum, Josh Rathburn and Kevin Weckworth. In a 37-point third quarter, the Villains went 13-of-13 from the floor and 7-of-7 from the free throw line — a perfect 8 minutes.

"It was unreal," Villains head coach Josh Thompson said. "I should have quit then."

Once so skinny he'd get bumped out of the way just standing too close to the action, Toomey is now a master at muscling his way into the paint. He set a record with 19 free throws in last year's title game and had a streak of more than 40 in a row earlier this season.

"He pays a price for it," Kevin said. "You see him after a workout, he's exhausted, sweaty, tired."

Aaron inherited his father's allergic reaction to losing, making their driveway HORSE games all the more dramatic when Dad unveils one of his trademark hook shots — the secret of which Aaron still hasn't been privy to.

"It's devastating," Aaron said. "There's no way he hits that shot."

Despite his pedigree, Toomey has been largely neglected on the recruiting trail. He will have options to play at some smaller schools, but he's got non-basketball options lined up just in case. He understands why he doesn't stand out in the you-have-five-seconds-to-impress-me-GO! world of recruiting.

"Aaron is not a quick-judgment player," Kevin said. "He doesn't make the flashy plays where you say, 'Wow!' You have to watch him for two or three games before you realize, geez, this kid can really play."

Slow and steady has already earned him one championship ring, and now it's saved a season that once looked lost.

"They might not do what they did last year," Kevin said, "but it just might be the most rewarding year he's played."

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com