By Francesco Cautillo

Personal accolades and national representation overflow the daily life of Aaron Rhooms but the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s basketball guard finds himself focused on simplicity, prioritizing his contribution and plans for his final year with the team.

Basketball is what keeps Rhooms’ world spinning but the sport was merely a hobby. The ball was like a magnet, drawing aspects of his life closer and closer to him–a method of bonding with his father, whom he spent a lot of his childhood with growing up in Mississauga, Ont.

“I think the biggest thing that basketball gave me with my pop was [something] more that we can relate to…it brought us closer,” said Rhooms.

The conversation about the possibility for Rhooms to play the sport at a level more than just for fun came on a random day. 

For Rhooms, the ball wasn’t just filled with air, it contained the weight of the world and the emotion he poured into the game that he loves. Every bead of sweat, every pull up jumper, marked his commitment to the game of basketball.

While practicing with his father outside, 10th grader Rhooms was asked if he wanted to pursue the sport professionally, to which he instantly replied “yes” with enthusiasm and passion. 

His father made sure that he was aware of the sacrifices that come with elite play, constantly giving him insight and stressing the focus of simplicity. “He was big on fundamentals. So whenever I’m on the court, I’m always trying to keep things simple, like making the easy pass and taking the easy shot,” said the Bold guard.

After the passing of his father in 2020, Rhooms continues to hold close the crucial lesson that was installed in him by his father. Explaining how this truth transcends sport, Rhooms says that “it applies to life too, when you slow things down, be patient, do the simple things, they add up and things work out.”

Daryus Alleyne is a former teammate of Rhooms who grew up playing with the TMU guard in high school. Since then, the two have become close friends, with both of them achieving their dreams of propelling to the varsity athletics scene. 

Alleyne thought back to the summer of 2020, claiming that this was the time he became aware of Rhooms’ full potential.

“It was like [Rhooms] had gone into a hyperbolic chamber,” said Alleyne about Rhooms’ quarantine transformation that shocked his entire squad.

As the longest serving player on the roster, Rhooms credits his relationship with TMU men’s basketball head coach David DeAveiro, who has grown the basketball program at the school alongside the Bold captain.

DeAveiro recently reached his 500th U Sports career win this past month after a game against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. 

Honouring his coach and the relationship they share, Rhooms explains that “We would talk about what he has in store for me if I came to the school and built that type of rapport that’s carried through the years.”

The 2021-22 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Rookie of the Year looked back to his first-ever game with the blue and gold against the Queen’s University Gaels, during which he recalls his first moments as a U Sports athlete. Although the moment was clouded with “a lot of nerves,” Rhooms still remembers “making an impact.” Recognizing his mentor, Rhooms praises DeAveiro’s faith in him as a 19-year-old starter, mentioning how “you don’t really hear that a lot in the league.”

As a freshman starter, Rhooms was also victim to the humbling intensity of university-level athletics, recalling one particular moment in that first game against the Gaels. 

Throughout his entire youth career, Rhooms stood tall, captivating the eyes of college scouts and dominating play. Coming onto the Mattamy Athletic Centre court in his first game with TMU, Rhooms found himself on the fast break, something he’d been practicing since he was that little boy playing on the street with his father. A Queen’s defender set up a screen, which Rhooms recognized as a chance to prove himself to the U Sports world. A routine layup turned into a welcoming moment for the freshman, as a Gael elbow greeted him at the front of the basket.

But the three-time consecutive First Team All-Star has come a long way since then, even going as far as setting the single season record against the York University Lions, where he dropped a career high 43 points.

“I just remember seeing everybody so happy, it was just a great feeling to have,” said Rhooms. He also took pride in having his mother witness that special moment, expressing that “when we embraced, I think she almost had tears in her eyes from how proud she was.”

After four rigorous years with the team, Rhooms enters his fifth and final year of OUA eligibility. The guard has won every personal accolade achievable for a single OUA player, as well as gaining national representation through opportunities with Canada Basketball in international 3×3 competitions.

Alleyne mentioned Rhooms’ humility despite his humble beginnings, shining a light on how his teammate was often “overlooked and not getting the attention that he deserved when we were younger.”

Despite his ongoing list of accomplishments, the Bold captain strives not only for the success of himself but of the entire men’s basketball program. When asked what is left for him here at TMU, he simply stated, “I really want a banner,” and that winning a championship would be his way of “giving back to the program that’s given so much to me.”

The men’s basketball team remains without a national championship, with their last piece of silverware coming in the 2017-18 season, following a defeat against the University of Calgary Dinos in the gold medal game. The men’s squad is ranked fourth nationally, standing first overall in the OUA standings. 

Hopes and expectations have never been higher for the Bold men’s basketball program, and only time will tell if Rhooms can guide his teammates to their goal of a national championship, marking off the final and most desired achievement of his university athletics career.