Photo by Joshua Lawton

Colorado head mens basketball coach Jeff Bzdelik, right, gives instructions to freshmen Cory Higgins (11) and Caleb Patterson during a break in the game against Stanford in the first half at the Coors Events Center in Boulder, Colo., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007.

Caleb Patterson only took 30 shots in a Colorado uniform.

And the humble freshman from Ringwood, Okla., wasn't about to add to that total by taking a parting shot at Jeff Bzdelik on Tuesday.

"He treated me fairly, to an extent," Patterson told the Camera about 24 hours after Bzdelik released him from his basketball scholarship at CU. "I don't really want to comment about that."

Patterson is the sixth Ricardo Patton recruit to leave the Buffs since Bzdelik was hired last April. The 6-11 center averaged 1.4 points and 1.4 rebounds in 14 appearances last season.

After watching most of the Big 12 action from the end of the bench, Patterson decided it will be in his best interest to transfer to another program. He will visit Northern Illinois, Missouri State, Texas-Arlington and possibly Wichita State in the coming weeks looking for a new basketball home.

"It was tough, but in my heart it's something I had to do," Patterson said. "I sat down and talked to a couple of the coaches and I just didn't fit the system."

Patton will reunite with 6-5 guard Xavier Silas, who was dismissed from the team by Bzdelik in February, next season at Northern Illinois. Patterson could also end up in DeKalb, Ill., and said the coaching change at CU probably sealed his fate as well.

"It did to an extent. Obviously, I wasn't recruited by Bzdelik and his staff," Patterson said. "Coming in I thought I could play for any coaching staff, but it didn't work out that way."

Patterson will finish the spring semester at CU and hopes to enroll at a new university and begin working with a new team this summer. He will have to sit out the 2008-09 season per NCAA transfer rules.

Would things have been different had he been redshirted last season at CU?

"I look at it on both sides. It wasn't a total waste," Patterson said. "I got some experience and saw how the game was at this level. And now I'm looking forward to taking a year to sit out and grown and get better."