• Class: Junior
• Hometown: Carbondale, Ill.
• High School: Carbondale
• Last College: Southwestern Illinois College
• Height/Weight: 6-8 / 185
• Position: F
• Birthdate: 11/24/1985

2006-07 Season Notes: Played three minutes against Hillsdale Coll. (Nov. 10) … played 14 minutes against Detroit (Nov. 13), scoring six points, grabbing two rebounds, blocking a shot and recording two steals … scored a career best eight points and had a career high seven rebounds against Eastern Mich. (Nov. 18) … tallied a career high two blocks in 11 minutes vs. North Dakota State (Dec. 2) … scored four points in 12 minutes against UMBC (Dec. 16) … in a career long 20 minutes scored six points and grabbed three rebounds vs. Morgan State (Dec. 22).

2004-05: Will have two years of eligibility remaining after spending the previous two seasons at Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) … a major contributor during his two seasons with the Blue Storm, Blackledge averaged 10.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.2 blocks and shot 56-percent from the field in leading his team to 34 victories and a sixth place finish in the NJCAA national tournament in his last season … possess a seven-foot wingspan and blocked 230 shots during his two years at SWIC … was named First Team All-Great Rivers Athletic Conference in 2005-06 and an honorable mention NJCAA All-American.

High School: Two-year letter winner at Carbondale High School…As a senior, led his team to the Illinois State Tournament final four by averaging 10 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots…was named first team all-division and conference, and honorable mention all-state.

Personal: Born November 24, 1985…son of Kimberly Rivers…has two older brothers, Brandon and Jarvis Rivers, and two young sisters, Jade Blackledge and Breonna Clemons…majors in communications studies.