Worth the replay?

Monday, February 16'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
    HoustonatIowa State
    CBB· ESPNDown 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
    SouthernatTexas Southern
    CBBDown to the wireBig comeback
    B+
    72/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback19/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

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

  3. #3
    Abilene ChrstnatTarleton St
    CBB· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth
    B+
    72/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings22/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 95 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

  4. #4
    DrexelatStony Brook
    CBB· CBSSNDown 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

  5. #5
    GramblingatPrairie View
    CBBDown to the wireBack and forth
    B+
    69/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback12/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69

  6. #6
    Coppin StatSC State
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
    B+
    68/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings21/25
    Comeback15/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68

  7. #7
    NichollsatHou Christian
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
    B
    65/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback12/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

  8. #8
    Norfolk StatMD Eastern
    CBBDown to the wireBack and forth
    B
    61/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings23/25
    Comeback4/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 61

  9. #9
    BethuneatJackson St
    CBB· ESPNUDown to the wire
    B
    60/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60

  10. #10
    LamaratUT Rio Grande
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth
    B
    56/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback2/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56

  11. #11
    South AlabamaatMarshall
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
    C+
    46/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 62 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 46

  12. #12
    LouisianaatOld Dominion
    CBB· ESPN+
    D
    29/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension16/30
    Swings16/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29

  13. #13
    LSU N OrleansatIncarnate Word
    CBB· ESPN+
    D
    27/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension9/30
    Swings18/25
    Comeback9/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 36 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 27

  14. #14
    AR-Pine BluffatAlabama A&M
    CBB
    D
    25/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension12/30
    Swings15/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

  15. #15
    Morgan StatNC Central
    CBB· ESPN+
    D
    23/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension17/30
    Swings11/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 31 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 23

  16. #16
    SF AustinatTexas A&M-CC
    CBB· ESPN+
    D
    22/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension16/30
    Swings13/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 29 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 22

  17. #17
    SE LouisianaatEast Texas A&M
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    18/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback3/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18

  18. #18
    Florida A&MatAlcorn St
    CBBOne-sided
    D
    14/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension2/30
    Swings16/25
    Comeback1/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 18 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14

  19. #19
    ColgateatBoston U
    CBB· CBSSNOne-sided
    D
    12/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings13/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12

  20. #20
    WagneratLong Island
    CBBOne-sided
    D
    8/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings7/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8

  21. #21
    McNeeseatN'Western St
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension3/30
    Swings0/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

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

  22. #22
    HowardatDelaware St
    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 3 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

  23. #23
    Miss Valley StatAlabama St
    CBBOne-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

  24. #24
    SyracuseatDuke
    CBB· ESPNOne-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.

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