Worth the replay?

1. #1

   NichollsatLamar

   CBB· CBSSNDown 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

   Incarnate WordatN'Western St

   CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

3. #3

   LSU N OrleansatSF Austin

   CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback

   B

   64/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 64

4. #4

   LouisvilleatNorth Carolina

   CBB· ESPN

   B

   62/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension25/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62

5. #5

   Hou ChristianatEast Texas A&M

   CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire

   B

   60/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 79 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60

6. #6

   Texas A&M-CCatSE Louisiana

   CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire

   C+

   49/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

7. #7

   HoustonatKansas

   CBB· ESPN

   D

   30/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension2/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30

8. #8

   UT Rio GrandeatMcNeese

   CBB· ESPN+

   D

   21/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings8/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 21

9. #9

   Miss Valley StatGrambling

   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

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.