The Northeast Regional brackets serve up much to like, but here’s a pine for what nearly formed for this week’s buffet of postseason hoops at Jacksonville State.

The Class 4A boys’ bracket was nearly filled with Star-area teams. Recently crowed Calhoun County champion Saks fell two points short of joining No. 1 Anniston, upstart Jacksonville and Cherokee County.

Oneonta dealt the heart-breaking loss to Saks, squelching the possibility of yet another Saks-Anniston showdown. The Wildcats and Bulldogs close games in the county tournament semifinals and Class 4A, Area 9 final.

Four Saks-Anniston games this season were decided by a combined 17 points. Anniston won three, but Saks won in the county semifinals.

Oh well.

Three Star-area teams out of four will have to do in the 4A boys’ bracket, and it should do nicely.

Jacksonville will play Oneonta at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, and Anniston-Cherokee County will play at 1:30 p.m.

The tourney is slated to start today with intriguing 2A action, featuring Ranburne’s boys and the girls’ teams from Woodland and Ohatchee. Lady Bobcats senior Courtney Strain — the state’s all-time leading scorer — headlines Woodland’s No. 3 girls.

Other highlights in the girls’ brackets include Anniston’s girls, the reigning Class 4A runners-up. Perennial contender and No. 9 Spring Garden lurks in the 1A bracket, as do the Ragland Lady Purple Devils, and No. 9 Glencoe highlights the 3As.

Piedmont’s No. 4 boys hope to bring home the 3A boys’ regional crown, and No. 6 Cedar Bluff is in the 1A bracket.

But the local intrigue spikes with Thursday’s 4A boys’ games, and Anniston is the favorite.

The Bulldogs (22-9) lost four starters from their state-title team of last season, but carry the No. 1 ranking and a seven-game winning streak into the tournament. Six of those victories were blowouts.

Senior forward Quintarius Hutchison, the lone returning starter from a year ago, said he sees the Bulldogs hitting their stride.

“Things are starting to form like last year’s team did at the right time,” he said. “Practices are starting to look a little better. Everybody is starting to click. Everybody is playing as one right now.”

Jacksonville (22-7) brings one of the area’s most effective big men — Tristan Garmon — and one of the top point guards — Ethan Maske.

The Golden Eagles will make their first regional appearance since 2004, when they advanced to Birmingham.

“It’s been a long-awaited trip,” said Jacksonville coach Anthony Kingston, a former JSU player who will coach in the gym where he played his college ball, “but I’m excited for these young men.”

There’s more JSU hook with Cherokee County. Seniors Coty Blanchard and Gabriel Chambers recently signed letters of intent to play football at JSU. Blanchard — voted Alabama’s Mr. Football after leading the Warriors to the 2009 4A state title — will also play baseball for JSU.

Other intriguing brackets in this week’s Northeast Regional include the boys’ 6A, which features No. 1 Homewood, No. 5 Mountain Brook and No. 6 Gadsden City.

The 5A boys’ bracket includes No. 2 Pleasant Grove, No. 8 Wenonah and No. 10 Arab.

In 3A, No. 3 Pisgah and No. 7 Sylvania join No. 4 Piedmont.

The 2A bracket includes No. 3 Sand Rock, No. 4 Vincent and No. 6 Section, while No. 9 Skyline lurks in 1A.

Ranked girls’ teams in the Northeast Regional field, but not from The Star’s coverage area, include No. 1 Hoover (6A), No. 7 Gadsden City (6A), No. 10 Shades Valley (6A), No. 4 Fort Payne (5A), No. 7 Erwin (5A), No. 10 Boaz (5A), No. 3 Guntersville (4A), No. 6 Ashville (4A), No. 6 Holly Pond (3A), No. 6 Section (2A), No. 7 North Sand Mountain (2A) and No. 7 Gaston (1A).