Worth the replay?
Monday, February 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 →- #1NichollsatLamarCBB· CBSSNDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forthB+73/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings25/25Comeback17/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth10/10Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73
- #2Incarnate WordatN'Western StCBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackB+65/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings23/25Comeback14/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth5/10Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65
- #3LSU N OrleansatSF AustinCBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackB64/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings23/25Comeback15/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 64
- #4LouisvilleatNorth CarolinaCBB· ESPNB62/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension25/30Swings21/25Comeback14/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth8/10Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62
- #5Hou ChristianatEast Texas A&MCBB· ESPN+Down to the wireB60/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings25/25Comeback9/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth0/10Drama 79 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60
- #6Texas A&M-CCatSE LouisianaCBB· ESPN+Down to the wireC+49/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings17/25Comeback0/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 49
- #7KingsatGrizzliesNBAC35/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension15/30Swings16/25Comeback8/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth8/10Drama 47 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 35
- #8SpursatPistonsNBA· PeacockD31/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension6/30Swings18/25Comeback11/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth8/10Drama 42 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31
- #9HoustonatKansasCBB· ESPND30/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30Swings20/25Comeback12/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth5/10Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30
- #10UT Rio GrandeatMcNeeseCBB· ESPN+D21/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30Swings8/25Comeback0/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth0/10Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 21
- #11JazzatRocketsNBA· PeacockOne-sidedD3/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30Swings3/25Comeback0/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth0/10Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3
- #12Miss Valley StatGramblingCBBOne-sidedD2/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30Swings0/25Comeback0/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 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.