Worth the replay?

Friday, February 27'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
QuinnipiacatNiagara
CBB· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
A
75/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback18/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75
#2
CoastalatJames Madison
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B+
71/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback15/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 95 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71
#3
Miami OHatW Michigan
CBB· CBSSNDown to the wireBack and forth
B+
69/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings24/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69
#4
App StateatTexas St
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBack and forth
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings24/25
Comeback13/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#5
HarvardatPrinceton
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback18/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#6
DaytonatG Washington
CBB· ESPN2Down to the wire
B+
66/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 89 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66
#7
GA SouthernatMarshall
CBB· ESPN2Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B
65/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback15/20
Decided late11/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65
#8
MerrimackatCanisius
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback
B
64/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback16/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 85 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 64
#9
Old DominionatGeorgia St
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
B
62/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 83 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62
#10
Mount St MarysatSacred Heart
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
B
56/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late14/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 75 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56
#11
YaleatCornell
CBB· ESPNUDown to the wire
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#12
DartmouthatPenn
CBB· ESPN+
C+
53/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension23/30
Swings21/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late13/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 71 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 53
#13
BrownatColumbia
CBB· ESPN+Back and forth
D
32/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension8/30
Swings21/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 43 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32
#14
Southern MissatSouth Alabama
CBB· ESPN+Big comeback
D
31/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings21/25
Comeback16/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 41 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31
#15
MichiganatIllinois
CBB· Fox
D
19/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings16/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 26 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 19
#16
SienaatFairfield
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
7/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings8/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 10 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7
#17
AkronatKent State
CBB· ESPNU/ESPN+One-sided
D
6/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6
#18
ManhattanatSaint Peter's
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
4/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings3/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4
#19
UL MonroeatTroy
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
#20
LouisianaatArkansas St
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
1/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 1 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 1
#21
RideratIona
CBB· ESPN+One-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.