Waco, Texas ? Success at Baylor isn’t based on wins and losses this season.

“For us, finding something good is our reward,” first-year Bears men’s basketball coach Scott Drew said.

The Bears already have exceeded their expectations. They aren’t the winless team in the Big 12 Conference.

They won’t finish 0-16 — or even 1-15 — in one of the nation’s toughest conferences. And despite a depleted roster after a turbulent offseason, the Bears (7-15, 2-7 Big 12) may not finish in last place.

“We knew that if we could do one thing, that is play hard every game … that was what the crux of our goals was set in,” Drew said. “The big thing is, you’ve got to be realistic.”

The Bears have been playing with just six scholarship players, five averaging more than 31 minutes a game in conference play. They’ll get another scholarship player back when starter Corey Herring returns. He has missed four games and will be out at least another week because of a broken right hand.

Baylor lost its three top scorers when the NCAA relaxed transfer rules because of extraordinary events last summer. Patrick Dennehy was found shot to death after having been missing for six weeks. A former player faces a murder trial, and there was a coaching change after serious rules infractions were revealed.

Projections of a winless conference season were avoided with a 63-59 victory over Iowa State Jan. 24. Then Baylor beat Texas A&M, 72-64, last weekend, leaving the Aggies (7-13, 0-9) as the only Big 12 team without a league win.

Beating Iowa State “was really a reward for all of the hard work that everyone’s put in,” Drew said. “The A&M victory was nice to know that it wasn’t a fluke.

“At the same time, we’re realistic and know that if we don’t play to our fullest and the other team has a good time, it’s a long night for us.”

Especially against an unforgiving Big 12 schedule. The Bears’ next two games are on the road, Saturday at No. 10 Oklahoma State and Wednesday against No. 12 Kansas.

Their games at times haven’t been pretty, but the always-underdog Bears haven’t given up. They have no 30-point losses, and three of their losses to top 25 teams were by 11 points or less. They’re competitive for stretches in every game before the starters just wear down.

“I think Scott’s doing a great job. What I like about him and what he’s done, I’ve never heard him say one negative word about the situation he’s in,” Texas coach Rick Barnes said. “You could easily say, ‘Boy, I can’t believe I got myself in this situation.’ He hasn’t done that.

“I don’t know how anybody could do any better.”

The three Baylor transfers are key juniors on teams probably headed to the NCAA Tournament: Lawrence Roberts for No. 6 Mississippi State, John Lucas at No. 10 Oklahoma State and Kenny Taylor at No. 11 Texas.