College basketball has the highest rate of players transferring to other schools of any NCAA Division I sport.

Memphis coach Tubby Smith said Sunday it's a trend that must slowed.

"Kids have a lot of options, nowadays with the new NCAA regulations, guys can transfer whenever they want," Smith said following Memphis' 90-70 win over East Carolina. "I've been in this business a long time, never seen anything like it. We had over 800 Division I players transfer last year. We're teaching them how to quit. That's what we're doing.

"Things not going well, let's quit."

Tubby Smith had a must-listen rant on college basketball today, citing 800+ transfers last year.

"We're teaching them how to quit."

When Smith said he called his dad wanting to transfer from High Point, he told him to stay there or join the Army.@LocalMemphis pic.twitter.com/ywfJDJbLaZ

— Clayton Collier (@Local24Clayton) March 4, 2018

Smith said he wanted to transfer out of High Point in 1969 following his freshman season, but his father would not let him.

"He said, 'Son, somebody do something to you?' No," Smith recalled. "'You still getting your scholarship, aren't you? They're still feeding you? They still housing you? You still getting an education?'

"I said, 'Yes sir.'

"He said, 'Well, you can't come home. Your bed's been taken. … But you can join the Army.'

"Best thing he ever said to me."

Smith's rant was in response to a question about whether he thought he'd have most of this season's team back next season. He said the "mass exits" in basketball "is what it is."

"Somebody needs to tell them you made a commitment. Stick to it," Smith said. "But it doesn't happen like that. They have a lot of people in their ear. That's the way life is."

Memphis is Smith's sixth head-coaching job and his 10-year stay at Kentucky from 1997-2007 is the only time he stayed for more than six seasons at a school. He left Georgia after two seasons to take the Wildcats job in 1997. 

"You're going to have your naysayers, your doubters. that's always," Smith continued. "But most people, hopefully they're better off when they do make a move. We wish them the best. If any of them do leave, we're going to the first ones to thank them for their service and wish them the best."