Worth the replay?

Friday, January 23'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. #1
    WagneratLe Moyne
    CBBDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
    B+
    73/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback17/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73

  2. #2
    Utah StateatColorado St
    CBB· FS1Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
    B+
    72/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback17/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

  3. #3
    Kennesaw StatLouisiana Tech
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
    B+
    72/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback16/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 96 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

  4. #4
    Charleston SoatLongwood
    CBB· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
    B+
    71/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 94 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71

  5. #5
    Long IslandatStonehill
    CBBDown to the wireBack and forth
    B+
    70/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback13/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70

  6. #6
    SC UpstateatGardner-Webb
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback
    B+
    68/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback18/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68

  7. #7
    East CarolinaatNorth Texas
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback
    B+
    67/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings21/25
    Comeback16/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

  8. #8
    UMassatBuffalo
    CBB· CBSSNDown to the wireBig comeback
    B+
    67/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback14/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 89 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

  9. #9
    MercyhurstatNew Haven
    CBBDown to the wireBack and forth
    B+
    66/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings23/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66

  10. #10
    Ohio StateatMichigan
    CBB· FoxDown to the wireBack and forth
    C+
    51/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late11/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 68 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 51

  11. #11
    MTSUatJax State
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
    C+
    49/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings18/25
    Comeback3/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 49

  12. #12
    MarquetteatButler
    CBB· FS1
    C
    38/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension26/30
    Swings11/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late11/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 50 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 38

  13. #13
    High PointatRadford
    CBB· ESPN+
    C
    36/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension17/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback7/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 48 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 36

  14. #14
    StetsonatAustin Peay
    CBB· ESPN+Back and forth
    D
    32/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension14/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback1/20
    Decided late1/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 43 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32

  15. #15
    FDUatC Connecticut
    CBBBig comeback
    D
    32/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback17/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 42 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32

  16. #16
    FGCUatLipscomb
    CBB· ESPN+
    D
    30/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension8/30
    Swings18/25
    Comeback6/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30

  17. #17
    FurmanatUNC Greensboro
    CBB· ESPN+
    D
    26/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension11/30
    Swings15/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late1/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 26

  18. #18
    TulaneatCharlotte
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    17/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension5/30
    Swings13/25
    Comeback2/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17

  19. #19
    Chicago StatSaint Francis
    CBBOne-sided
    D
    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension2/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

  20. #20
    UL MonroeatApp State
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    9/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension2/30
    Swings2/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 12 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 9

  21. #21
    AkronatOhio
    CBB· ESPNUOne-sided
    D
    4/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension2/30
    Swings4/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 6 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4

  22. #22
    W IllinoisatS Indiana
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings4/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

  23. #23
    IndianaatRutgers
    CBB· FS1One-sided
    D
    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings3/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

  24. #24
    Saint LouisatSt Bonaventure
    CBB· ESPN2One-sided
    D
    2/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings3/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 2

  25. #25
    The CitadelatETSU
    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

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.

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