Those who remember that’s all we have on this wandering orb of rock tend to make the most of life. Sometimes, their legacy is etched early on, thanks to the right constellation of factors.
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That was certainly the case with the four Arkansas basketball players who are on the Mt. Rushmore of Memorable Shots in Razorback history – Scotty Thurman, U.S. Reed, Michael Qualls (yes, I consider a put-back dunk a shot) and Charles Balentine.
This past week, we lost one of those indelible memory makers when Balentine passed away at the age of 60. Every ensuing story focused on the fact that his 5-foot floater sealed a one-point win over a No. 1 North Carolina team led by Michael Jordan on Feb. 12, 1984 during his junior season. Earlier in that game, he also blocked one of Jordan’s shot. In all, the star-studded affair featured six future NBA Draft first rounders, with two from Arkansas in Joe Kleine and Alvin Robertson.
The 6’6″ Balentine joined some of them in the NBA when he was selected in the 6th round in 1985 by the Kings, but pro ball didn’t last long. In the following decades, he served as a manager at Wal-Mart and Coulson Oil among other companies, yet his life’s trademark moment – at least to outsiders – was already established.
For some, that can become stifling, a burden resented.
Unforgettable Arkansas Basketball Moment
Not so with Balentine, said Chuck Barrett, the longtime Razorback broadcaster.
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“When you hit a shot like that it defines your life. You carry it with you forever. You carry people’s memories with them forever,” Barrett said on ESPN Arkansas’ “The Morning Rush.” “I know that Charles Balentine… from the day he hit that shot until the moment he passed, he got asked about that, every single day. Now, he always handled it with grace. He always handled it in the way that you hoped your hero would handle it. He talked to people like it was the first time he’d ever been asked, and he’d been asked a million times.”
That kind of perpetual patience is a gift on top of the endorphins that Balentine sent coursing through the veins of Arkansas basketball fans that day in 1984, and still all these decades later when they recall one of the program’s proudest moments.
Balentine’s grace and generosity comes across even more clearly in the way he helped others and the tradition in which he so proudly played a role. Not just in the many public Razorback events he attended through the decades, but also in what he did behind the scenes.
For instance, years ago, Razorback fan Bette White recalls meeting Balentine in a time of need in the parking lot after a Hogs football game.
The battery in Balentine’s car had died and White and her husband, Danny, helped him get another battery and install it for him. They learned that Balentine was a member of the Church of Christ just like they were. Balentine insisted that he pay them for their help, but they wouldn’t accept any money, White shard in a Facebook post.
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Since they always attended church on Wednesday nights, Balentine told them he would send them tickets to an Arkansas basketball game at what was then a newly opened Bud Walton Arena for a game on another day.
After this chance encounter, a while passed and White wrote she forgot about what Balentine said, assuming he wouldn’t send any. Then, one day, she found the below letter in the mail along with two tickets to a Bud Walton game against a highly ranked Florida team:
Apparently, the “Hat Zone” refers to a mall hat store that Balentine and his wife owned.
“We went to the game and had a wonderful time,” White wrote. “Matter of fact, that game was when Florida was number two in the nation and we beat them at the buzzer. I will never forget Charles Balentine, he was a good man and a great basketball player.”
“You will be missed, Charles, rest in peace.”
In the end, Balentine only got one shot to make a difference in the lives of the Whites, to repay them back for the kindness he received in a time of need.
He made it count.
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Charles Balentine and Dudley Dawson
In the world of Arkansas sports, Charles Balentine will be indelibly linked to longtime Arkansas sportswriter Dudley Dawson (a friend of mine). Balentine and Dawson played together for Newport High School. Balentine then came to Fayetteville to join Eddie Sutton’s basketball program for the 1981-82 season, while Dawson became a team manager.
Dawson, like so many others in Newport such as broadcaster David Black, appreciated how close Balentine stayed to his hometown and people.
As Chuck Barrett put it, “when you come from a small town and you go away and you make it big, so to speak, and believe me, when you’re from Newport, Arkansas and you hit a game winner for the Razorbacks, you’ve made it big.”
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“To carry that and to go back to your town and to share that with them and to allow them to experience your joy, that’s a gift. You don’t have to do that and not everyone’s equipped to do that.”
More from Chuck Barrett on Charles Balentine starting at 29:22 below:
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -— If Taylen Green and Luke Hasz needed more motivation going into his first Battle Line Rivalry game this Saturday, then being ticked off at Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz for blatantly butchering their names should do it.
Green’s name isn’t hard to pronounce given it sounds just like it looks Tay-Len, not Tal-On as Drinkwitz said. It’s obvious that Missouri’s coach knows exactly what he’s doing given his antics over the previous four seasons that get under other SEC fanbase’s and coaches skin.
The Boise State transfer has shown himself to be a playmaker when he can take care of the ball. Green has recorded 3,052 yards of total offense and 20 touchdowns this season and could make a statement with a clean performance and victory at Missouri.
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Not seen in the short clip is a few seconds later Drinkwitz saying Luke Hasz’ name as “Halls” which is totally off and a pronunciation most haven’t heard. It’s the small things like this which Missouri’s coach is allowed to get away with by most conference members.
Nearly 20 years ago, former LSU coach Les Miles had an infamous press conference as he was being courted by Michigan to be its next coach in 2007. The Tigers were No. 1 in the nation with a 10-1 record overall going up against 7-4 Arkansas.
As he was being asked about the Michigan noise, Miles assured media and fans that he was focused as LSU’s head coach and playing its rival “Ar-Kansas” that Black Friday.
Arkansas coach Houston Nutt used the soundbite above as motivation for his team that day as the Razorbacks pulled out a memorable 50-48 triple overtime victory which was thought to end LSU’s title hopes. Two-time Heisman runner up Darren McFadden had one of his finest performances in one of the Hogs’ greatest wins in program history with 206 yards rushing and four total touchdowns.
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Immediately after the game, Nutt and McFadden met with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson to celebrate their monumental upset. The Razorbacks’ coach embraced his star running back and proclaimed him as the best player in the country. The proud Little Rock native responded with a correction of Miles stating “It ain’t Ar-Kansas, it’s Arkansas, baby!”
For the sake of talking about one of the most memorable Arkansas games of all-time, it would be shameful to not at least include highlights of McFadden’s epic performance. That game ended an era as Nutt resigned and moved onto Ole Miss where he spent his next four seasons before becoming an analyst for CBS Sports.
Darren McFadden’s Heisman like performance vs #1 LSU in Death Valley 🐐 (2007) pic.twitter.com/ON2IP0ech5
The Tigers ended up winning the SEC Championship with several other teams ranked ahead losing to regain a spot in the national title game, ultimately winning it. On that fateful day, it was all about the Razorbacks who brought the wood and beat LSU without doubt similar to what Green could do in response to Drinkwitz.
“That’s how you pronounce it. It ain’t Ta-Lon or Halls, it’s Taylen and Hasz, baby.”
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Arkansas Razorbacks (5-1) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (5-1)
Kansas City, Missouri; Thursday, 4 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Fighting Illini -2.5; over/under is 154
BOTTOM LINE: Illinois plays No. 19 Arkansas in Kansas City, Missouri.
The Fighting Illini are 5-1 in non-conference play. Illinois leads the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging 46.3 boards. Tomislav Ivisic leads the Fighting Illini with 8.7 rebounds.
The Razorbacks are 5-1 in non-conference play. Arkansas averages 12.5 turnovers per game and is 4-0 when turning the ball over less than opponents.
Illinois scores 89.0 points, 29.8 more per game than the 59.2 Arkansas allows. Arkansas averages 8.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.8 more made shots on average than the 5.5 per game Illinois gives up.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Will Riley is scoring 17.2 points per game and averaging 5.3 rebounds for the Fighting Illini.
Boogie Fland is shooting 48.1% from beyond the arc with 2.2 made 3-pointers per game for the Razorbacks, while averaging 17.2 points, 5.5 assists and 2.2 steals.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The No. 21 Missouri Tigers enter their final regular season game with the least injury questions than they have had for most other games since the beginning of November.
But, there was a few new additions to the team’s availability report ahead of the Week 14 game against Arkansas. Below is the full availability report for the Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
This post will be updated throughout the week with new availability reports posted Thursday, Friday and 90 minutes before the 3:15 p.m. kick off.
Missouri Initial Availability Report:
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Note: Missouri players with injuries previously reported to be season-ending are not listed on this post.
• DB Shamar McNeil – OUT • LS Brett Le Blanc – OUT • OL Logan Reichert – OUT • RB Kewan Lacy – QUESTIONABLE
True freshman running back Kewan Lacy took one carry against Mississippi State in Week 13 before exiting the game with injury. Head coach Eli Drinkwitz said in the week leading up to that game that he would expect Lacy to see more opportunities going forward.
Le Blanc handles punting long snapping duties for Missouri, while Trey Flint takes care of field goals and extra points. Expect Flint to slide in for Le Blanc Saturday.
Arkansas Initial Availability Report:
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• DL Nico Dalliver – OUT • DB Jaylon Braxton – OUT • K Kyle Ramsey – OUT • DL Anton Juncaj – DOUBTFUL • RB Braylen Russel – QUESTIONABLE • DB Anthony Switzer – QUESTIONABLE
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