Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PennatYale

   CBB· ESPN2OvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   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. #2

   VanderbiltatArkansas

   CBB· ESPNDown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   64/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

3. #3

   PurdueatMichigan

   CBB· CBSBack and forth

   C+

   47/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 62 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 47

4. #4

   Wichita StatSouth Florida

   CBB· ESPNOne-sided

   D

   15/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15

5. #5

   DaytonatVCU

   CBB· CBSOne-sided

   D

   11/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension7/30

   Swings6/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11

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.