Worth the replay?

Friday, January 30'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
MaristatCanisius
CBB· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
A
75/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback17/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75
#2
Sacred HeartatQuinnipiac
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback16/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70
#3
FairfieldatIona
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B+
69/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69
#4
Cleveland StatGreen Bay
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
B
63/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback13/20
Decided late13/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 84 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63
#5
RideratManhattan
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth
B
55/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55
#6
GA SouthernatUL Monroe
CBBDown to the wireBack and forth
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings17/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 73 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#7
IU IndyatYoungstown St
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late8/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#8
MichiganatMichigan St
CBB· FoxDown to the wire
C+
52/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback5/20
Decided late11/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52
#9
Mount St MarysatSaint Peter's
CBB· ESPNUBack and forth
C+
50/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension26/30
Swings20/25
Comeback5/20
Decided late7/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 67 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 50
#10
PennatColumbia
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
47/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings15/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 63 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 47
#11
Wright StatMilwaukee
CBB· ESPN+
C
41/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings17/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late8/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 54 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 41
#12
N KentuckyatDetroit Mercy
CBB· ESPN+
D
34/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension11/30
Swings22/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 46 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 34
#13
HarvardatBrown
CBB· ESPN+
D
31/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension17/30
Swings15/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 41 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31
#14
Boise StatGrand Canyon
CBB· FS1
D
19/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30
Swings17/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 26 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 19
#15
RiceatCharlotte
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
18/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension6/30
Swings12/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18
#16
Loyola ChicagoatVCU
CBB· ESPN2One-sided
D
14/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension6/30
Swings10/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14
#17
SienaatNiagara
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
13/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension8/30
Swings5/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 18 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13
#18
DartmouthatYale
CBB· ESPN+One-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
#19
PrincetonatCornell
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
6/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings8/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6
#20
ProvidenceatVillanova
CBB· FS1One-sided
D
6/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings5/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6
#21
Kent StateatAkron
CBB· CBSSNOne-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
#22
UNLVatNevada
CBB· CBSSNOne-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
#23
DaytonatSaint Louis
CBB· CBSSNOne-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

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.