UCLA, Tennessee, Villanova and Wake Forest will be regional hosts for the 16-team NIT Season Tip-Off tournament in November, it was announced Monday.

UCLA plays Pepperdine, and Nevada plays Pacific in the West Regional.

The North Regional will take place at Villanova, where the Wildcats will host Marist College and George Washington will face Boston University.

The South Regional will be at Tennessee, where the Volunteers will play Belmont and Missouri State plays Arkansas State.

In the East Regional, it's Wake Forest against Hampton and Virginia Commonwealth against Winthrop.

First- and second-round games are Nov. 15-17 with the winners going to Madison Square Garden for the Nov. 24 semifinals. The championship is Nov. 26.

Duke beat Connecticut to win last year's tournament, then went on to win the national championship.

•Former Purdue coach Gene Keady, former Texas women's coach Jody Conradt and high school coach Bob Hurley Sr. are this year's recipients of the Lapchick Character Awards.