Worth the replay?

Monday, January 12'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
UT Rio GrandeatN'Western St
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback
B+
73/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback19/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73
#2
MD EasternatNorfolk St
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback15/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70
#3
LSU N OrleansatSE Louisiana
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth
B+
69/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback13/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69
#4
SouthernatBethune
CBBDown to the wireBig comeback
B
65/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings17/25
Comeback17/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65
#5
NC CentralatMorgan St
CBBBack and forth
C+
53/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension27/30
Swings18/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late11/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 71 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 53
#6
SC StateatCoppin St
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
50/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 67 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 50
#7
Hou ChristianatLamar
CBB· ESPN+Back and forth
C
42/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension18/30
Swings21/25
Comeback5/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 56 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 42
#8
Texas A&M-CCatEast Texas A&M
CBB· ESPN+
C
37/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension23/30
Swings16/25
Comeback2/20
Decided late5/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 50 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 37
#9
Jackson StatAlabama A&M
CBB
D
31/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings22/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 42 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31
#10
AR-Pine BluffatPrairie View
CBB
D
26/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension15/30
Swings15/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 26
#11
Incarnate WordatSF Austin
CBB· ESPN+
D
19/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension15/30
Swings11/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 26 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 19
#12
Alcorn StatAlabama St
CBBOne-sided
D
18/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30
Swings14/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18
#13
NavyatAmerican
CBB· CBSSNOne-sided
D
16/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension9/30
Swings13/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16
#14
Delaware StatHoward
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
3/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings3/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3
#15
NichollsatMcNeese
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
#16
Miss Valley StatTexas Southern
CBBOne-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.