Scott Drew couldn't help but crack a smile as he reminisced about his first year on the job nearly two decades ago.
The Baylor head coach remembers sending then-assistant Jerome Tang to a hardware store to purchase a metal trash can.
Drew always wanted the team's energy to match his own positivity, so he had Tang strike the trash can repeatedly with a stick before every game during the 2003-04 campaign.
Wins were few and far between that season and in the first few years of Drew's tenure, but the program needed to start somewhere after being struck by tragedy, player departures, and NCAA sanctions.
"We were trying anything to motivate our guys because … you're playing with six scholarship (players) and half a team of walk-ons against a bunch of McDonald's All-Americans," Drew told theScore this past summer at the inaugural GLOBL JAM, where Baylor represented the United States in an under-23 international tournament.
"Not that Vegas always knows things, but when you're a 40-point underdog every game, you gotta do whatever to motivate your guys to play as hard as they can. That's been part of our culture. The guys really embrace playing hard, tough, and together."
Those aforementioned qualities are at the heart of Drew's "Culture of JOY." The acronym stands for Jesus, Others, Yourself. Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney gave Drew the idea, which has served as the foundation for the Bears' style of play.
Drew's squads have historically been unselfish. His players won't hesitate to make the extra pass if that turns a good shot into a great one. On the defensive end, they're rotating to help a teammate or putting their body on the line to take a charge. There's a mutual understanding that no individual is bigger than the team.
"The Baylor way of doing things is just putting others in front of you and just knowing that it's always going to come back to you," fifth-year forward Flo Thamba told theScore. "That's the thing we're trying to teach these (young) guys. If we actually play as a team, play as a collective unit, the outcome is going to take care of itself."
Baylor transformed into one of the country's most consistent programs under Drew's watch, going 167-155 in Big 12 play and 399-222 overall in 19 seasons. They've registered 13 campaigns of 20 wins or more - including 10 of the last 11 - and finished above .500 in 15 straight seasons. Kansas is the only other Power 5 school with at least 18 victories in each campaign since 2008. The Bears also hold the longest winning streak in conference history, rattling off 23 victories in a row during the 2019-20 season.
Baylor captured the last two Big 12 regular-season titles and reached 10 NCAA Tournaments during Drew's time in Waco. After falling short in its previous two Elite Eight appearances, the third time was the charm. The Bears advanced to the 2021 Final Four and subsequently claimed their first national championship in school history.
"We're the winningest Power 5 program in the last three years. Been ranked No. 1 in the last three years. Only us and Gonzaga have done that," Drew said. "A lot of accolades. But it really goes back to the beginning. All those people that sacrificed. ... All those players that came before laid the foundation for us being able to achieve what we achieved."
Baylor's outstanding player development fueled its rise to prominence, especially in Drew's early years when there were no five-star recruits to lean on. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year had to think outside the box and left no stone unturned as he searched for talent.
Aaron Bruce wasn't a household name when he joined Baylor in Drew's second season. By the time he graduated, the Australian guard earned All-Big 12 honorable mentions on three occasions and was among the school's top 3-point marksmen. Meanwhile, 7-foot-1 center Mamadou Diene had only a few years of organized basketball under his belt when he arrived from Senegal but was an elite shot-blocker throughout his time with the Bears.
Drew continued to unearth hidden gems even as Baylor's steady climb up the standings attracted more high-profile prospects. Taurean Prince wasn't hotly recruited but turned into an NBA lottery pick within four years. Freddie Gillespie was the Big 12's Most Improved Player just a few seasons removed from Division III basketball. The Bears' national championship roster featured several transfers (Davion Mitchell, MaCio Teague, Adam Flagler) and a product of the NBA's Global Academy (Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua).
West Virginia transfer Jalen Bridges hopes to be the next success story. The junior forward became very familiar with the Bears as a starter for one of their Big 12 rivals. While Bridges had a significant role for the Mountaineers, he believes Drew and his staff can take his game to another level.
"I feel like they do a great job at pulling the best out of guys, and that's really what I'm trying to be a part of," Bridges told theScore.
Baylor enters Year 20 of the Drew era back in the national championship conversation despite losing Kendall Brown and Jeremy Sochan to the NBA. The Bears tied for fifth in the AP preseason poll and were tabbed as the Big 12's preseason favorites for the second time in three years.
The smooth-shooting Bridges adds another switchable defender to the Bears' frontcourt alongside Thamba. Meanwhile, BYU transfer Caleb Lohner provides an experienced option at the 5 as Tchamwa Tchatchoua continues to recover from knee surgery.
The guard depth is reminiscent of Baylor's title squad two seasons ago. Leading scorers Flagler and LJ Cryer headline the returnees. Both players were instrumental in a balanced attack that ranked eighth on KenPom's rankings for adjusted offensive efficiency in 2021-22. Redshirt freshman Langston Love, a former top-30 recruit, has been cleared to practice after tearing his ACL in a private scrimmage prior to the previous campaign. Division II transfer Dale Bonner is poised to resume his role as a defensive spark plug.
But the player who can really raise the Bears' ceiling is five-star freshman Keyonte George. The Texas native was the No. 6 overall prospect on the ESPN 100 for 2022 and ranked higher than any other recruit in Baylor history. George came out of high school with a bucket-getter reputation, and he demonstrated that three-level scoring ability at the GLOBL JAM tournament in July, averaging 22.8 points, 6.4 free-throw attempts, and three assists to go along with a 36.4% clip from deep.
With several key players sidelined, George acted as the lead scorer and facilitator. The 6-foot-4 teenager was dangerous coming off ball screens, demonstrated his capability as a pick-and-roll playmaker, and showed no fear when taking it to the rack. He dropped 32 points against a Brazil team featuring multiple pro players and 37 on the host Canadians, who had several collegiate starters, including Big 12 foes Marcus Carr and Emanuel Miller.
The Bears take great pride in their perimeter defense, and George has the makings of the quintessential Baylor guard. The 18-year-old was sliding his feet to stay ahead of guards, taking charges, and even fronting bigger players in the post. On one possession, George held his ground against first-round draft prospect Leonard Miller, using his lower-body strength to stop the 6-foot-10 forward in his tracks. Defense was arguably the biggest knock against George coming into college, but he's answered the bell.
"The one thing I can control is my effort. That's the main thing that they’ve been preaching to me. Just take pride on the defensive end," George told theScore. "We work on defence every single day (in practice). Just applying it to the game. All it is is effort. … No matter what's going on at the other side of the ball, making sure my effort is always still there."
George's first showing for Baylor was undoubtedly a huge success, yet he'd focus on the things he didn't do well after each GLOBL JAM tournament game. The McDonald's All-American dissected his shot selection, different reads he failed to make, and his ball delivery to certain players. George is a self-professed film junkie, and his desire to improve upon every performance hasn't been lost on Drew.
"Keyonte's a joy to coach because he wants to get better. Anytime you talk to him about any area, any facet of the game, he tries to get better in that area," Drew said. "That's really important because so many guys that have big reputations, it might be just about their shots or scoring.
"When you get guys that are about winning and doing what it takes to win, that's when you know you've got something special."
