It was shortly before 8 p.m. last Friday in Waco, Texas, and Matthew Driscoll was driving to his office at Baylor University after watching his 12-year-old son, Chase, play in a youth basketball game.

Driscoll, an assistant coach for the Baylor men's basketball team, planned to spend the evening watching tape of Kansas State superstar Michael Beasley, who will face the Bears the very next night.

"We've got to find a fifth, sixth, seventh different way to stop Beasley," Driscoll said. "I'll be here late. I'll do whatever is necessary."

He had a good reason to put in the extra hours at work. Baylor, a program once left in shambles by a murder, a disgraced coach and NCAA sanctions, now has serious postseason aspirations.

Driscoll, a Bellevue native and graduate of Northgate High School and Slippery Rock University, has played a big part in the rebuilding efforts.

"He's one of the hardest working coaches in the profession," Baylor coach Scott Drew said.

"It's very common for him to be in the office until 1 or 2 in the morning and be right back at it at 7. He's one of those guys who's not afraid of work. He really sacrifices a lot for the program."

Baylor would go on to beat No. 24 Kansas State, 92-86, despite 44 points from Beasley. The victory enhanced the Bears' hopes for their first NCAA tournament appearance in 20 years.

Before last night, Baylor was 20-8, 8-6 in the Big 12.

"I thought this team had a chance to be special and do neat things," Driscoll said. "It's really come to fruition."

Driscoll, 43, joined Drew's coaching staff at Valparaiso University in Indiana in the summer of 2003 after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant at Clemson and Wyoming. He spent just seven weeks there before following his boss to his new job at Baylor.

It was far from a dream position.

Just weeks earlier, Baylor player Patrick Dennehy had been killed and teammate Carlton Dotson, who now is serving 35 years in prison for the crime, was convicted in the murder. Coach Dave Bliss resigned in the aftermath of an ensuing scandal concerning improper payments to Dennehy and another player, and is now banned from coaching in the NCAA until 2015.

Two years later, the NCAA imposed sanctions on the program, including cancelling the Bears' non-conference schedule for the 2005-06 season.

In their first three years under Drew, the Bears went 8-21, 9-19 and 4-13 in the abbreviated season.

"I've been a part of rebuilding before, but this is something that no one will ever experience again," Driscoll said. "You just can't fathom all the things that transpired. It was incredible"

Despite the struggles, Driscoll was certain the Bears would eventually reverse their fortunes.

"I was completely convinced the Lord led us here for the all the right reasons," he said.

"When you have faith, you'll succeed."

The turnaround started last season, when Baylor went 15-16 overall, 4-12 in the Big 12 and nearly beat Kevin Durant and Texas in the conference tournament.

This year, the Bears won the Paradise Jam title in the Virgin Islands by beating Wichita State, Notre Dame and Winthrop. They also won at South Carolina as part of their non-conference schedule.

Baylor then won its first four Big 12 games, including a memorable five-overtime win at Texas A&M, putting the Bears in the Top 25 rankings for the first time since 1969.

The Bears spent two weeks at No. 25 before hitting a rough stretch in their schedule, losing six of seven games. Their win over Kansas State snapped a four-game losing streak.

"We just hit a bump," Driscoll said. "We have guys who have never been in this position before."

With one game remaining in the regular season (Baylor played its home finale last night against Texas A&M), the Bears are part of a log-jam of six teams fighting for third and fourth place and first-round byes in the Big 12 tournament.

As for the future, Baylor remains on NCAA probation until 2010, but has no more recruiting or scholarship restrictions. Driscoll said Baylor's past is rarely mentioned by potential recruits.

"We're at the point where I think it's past us," Driscoll said.

"Especially now that we've turned the corner in wins and losses, I don't think people talk about it any more."

Just how long Driscoll will remain at Baylor is uncertain. Driscoll was a finalist for the Robert Morris coaching job that eventually went to Pitt assistant Mike Rice.

He previously coached in the Pittsburgh area when he led La Roche from 1993-1997. He also was the head coach at Northgate and an assistant at Butler County Community College, Seneca Valley High School and Slippery Rock.

Drew knows it won't be long before his hard-working assistant moves on to an NCAA Division I heading coaching job.

"It's just a matter of time," he said. "He's one of those guys who's going to do what's best for his family.

"He's not anxious to take a job just to take a job. It has to be beneficial to him and his family. But it's just a matter of time before he finds one of those jobs."