Watch: Mike Pegues, Louisville Captains Talk Chris Mack's Departure, Moving Forward

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - It has been a whirlwind week for the Louisville men's basketball program.

On the heels of losing five of their past six games to reach a record of 11-9 and 5-5 in the ACC, head coach Chris Mack and the university agreed to mutually part ways on Wednesday, ending his nearly four-year stint as the man in charge of guiding the Cardinals.

"It's been a weird couple of days," guard and co-captain Jarrod West said. "It's just a unique situation. I've never really been a part of something like this."

Assistant coach Mike Pegues, who served as the acting head coach to start the season while Mack was suspended, was the given the interim head coach tag for the remainder of the season. His first game back in the head chair will come against Coach K and No. 9 Duke on Saturday.

"I can literally say it's not my first rodeo," Pegues quipped. "I haven't done it for years like the guy I'm going to be coaching against tomorrow, but at least I've done it before. There's some comfortability knowing that."

Even without a head coach, and with the NCAA Tournament far from reach, the team is on a mission to try and finish the year string.

"The number one thing is to keep pushing," forward/center and co-captain Malik Williams said. "You can't dwell on things too much. It's just about looking at that next step, figuring out what's best for the group, and trying to go out there and be the best version of ourselves."

Prior to their matchup with the Blue Devils, Pegues, West and Williams took time to meet with the media. They discussed the events leading up to Mack's departure, what lies ahead for the team this season, touched on the upcoming game vs. Duke, and more.

Below are the videos from their press conference:

Interim Head Coach Mike Pegues

Guard Jarrod West

Forward/Center Malik Williams

(Photo of Mike Pegues: Jamie Rhodes - USA TODAY Sports)

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