In college basketball’s version of the X-and-O Men, eight head coaches from five time zones will unite to battle a common foe.

For the sixth time — and fifth at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort — the leaders of the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic teams will serve as hosts to a pau-hana event supporting the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative.

Tuesday’s event will feature food, beverages, a talk-story session with Hawaii coach Eran Ganot and the other seven coaches, and a silent auction.

All proceeds will go to the Clarence T.C. Ching Hope Lodge, which provides rooms for cancer patients and their caregivers.

“We have a competitive battle just two days later,” Ganot said of the nationally televised basketball tournament at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center, “but every time we ask a coach or anybody to help, they say, ‘yes.’ They want to be part of the fight.”

Soon after Ganot was hired as UH’s head coach in 2015, he reached out to Lon Kruger, who was leading the Coaches vs. Cancer program. Ganot was part of a team that offered the tie-in with the eight-team tournament.

“When we thought about what’s the best way to fight cancer here in Hawaii, it was like a eureka moment,” Ganot said. “We said we host one of the great tournaments in the country every year. We can raise a lot of awareness because it’s nationally televised and we also get seven different (visiting) coaches every year.”

The first event was held at Murphy’s Bar and Grill on Merchant Street. Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams was the featured guest. The head of the American Cancer Society also attended.

After that, the event moved to the Outrigger Reef’s Kani Ka Pila Grille. There was a hiatus in 2020 because of the pandemic, but the event resumed last year.

“It’s a great night, great time, great food, very informal, very casual,” Ganot said. “We’ve raised awareness. We’ve raised money. Some of the coaches who have been involved in Coaches vs. Cancer have continued to stay involved. Some of the coaches who were not involved (in past events because of scheduling conflicts) have become more involved.”

Even though no immediate family members have been diagnosed with cancer, Ganot is impassioned about the coaches group’s goal of “crushing cancer.” Ganot noted friends, co-workers, colleagues and players’ family have experienced cancer’s wrath. He said not being directly impacted should not preclude people from “fighting the fight.”

Tickets are priced at $150, and are available online at HawaiiBowlFoundation.org.

Donations also are welcome.

“Every bit counts,” Ganot said. “Whatever you can do, everybody appreciates it.”