Patterson played for the Bulls from 1983 to 1985. He played high school basketball at Robinson High School, where he was a teammate of fellow Bull Charlie Bradley, and later led Florida College to a state junior college championship. He averaged 20 points and five assists per game for the Falcons, who finished 30-5.

“Our friendship started in the 7th grade,” says USF Hall of Famer Charlie Bradley. “I begged and pleaded with Coach Rose to bring Cuda to the Bulls. It was great to have him as a high school teammate, and great to have him at USF with me for two years.”

Patterson had been in poor health for a number of years. “We never talked about what he was going through,” says Bradley. “He never complained; he was kind hearted and everybody loved him.”

Patterson played sparingly for USF in the 1983-84 season, scoring 12 points in 19 games. The following year he was a key figure on a Bulls team that went to the NIT and defeated Wake Forest before falling in the second round to Louisville. Patterson averaged 12 points per game and started 15 times for the 1984-85 squad.