Worth the replay?

Monday, December 8's games ranked by how good they turned out to be: late drama, comebacks, lead swaps and overtime. No scores, no winners, so you can decide what to watch without spoilers.

Best games of the season →

#1
GramblingatSouthern Miss
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth
B+
65/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings22/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65
#2
LafayetteatPenn
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
52/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 70 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52
#3
Incarnate WordatLSU N Orleans
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
52/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 70 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52
#4
SC StateatCharleston So
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
12/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings14/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12
#5
S WesleyanatKennesaw St
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
2/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 2
#6
SouthernatTexas
CBB· SEC NetworkOne-sided
D
0/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0
#7
Miss Valley StatKansas St
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
0/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.