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By Matthew V. Roberson
Sun Staff Writer

JONESBORO — It’s been more than 22 years since Charles Balentine hit one of the most historic shots in Arkansas basketball history.
But even two decades after his last-second jumper toppled the No. 1-ranked, undefeated and college basketball Goliath North Carolina, Balentine can’t shake the story or the image as an Arkansas hero.
Everywhere he goes people want to listen to, and relive his story. And, every time Balentine is asked to tell it, he obliges to relive it one more time.
“I don’t ever get tired of telling the story,” Balentine said Saturday afternoon while in Jonesboro. “It was a great moment in Arkansas history and in the history of the University of Arkansas. It was a great moment in my life. I don’t get tired of talking about it, because technically, that game gave Arkansas a lot of credibility on the national level of basketball. If I have to tell it a hundred times to a lot of people, that’s fine with me.”
Long removed since delivering that fateful short baseline jumper on Feb. 12, 1984, in the Pine Bluff Convention Center that knocked off a North Carolina team made up of future NBA stars, including Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty, Matt Doherty and Kenny Smith, Balentine is using his shining moment to deliver a message to the youth of today.
On Saturday at Temple Baptist Church, Balentine helped conduct a youth basketball clinic for first- through sixth-grade students. While simple team and individual fundamentals were part of the program, the underlying basis was reinforcing values, ideals and the importance of an education.
“I want to motivate youngsters, help them in the right direction,” Balentine said. “If we can get to just one, then it’s all worth it. It’s so important for them to stay in school, get an education and make good decisions in all parts of their life. There are going to be all kinds of distractions in life. I have been able to use basketball to open a lot of doors in my life, and no matter what they do, I want them to know they can do the same.”
Originally from Newport, Balentine played for the Razorbacks from 1981 to 1985 and was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the sixth round following his senior season. He spent two years in the Kings’ organization, playing six months for the Kings before spending the next 18 months with Sacramento’s farm team in the Continental Basketball Association.
Now 42, Balentine has been married for 13 years and has two children, an 11-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son. He has spent the past 19 years working for Wal-Mart as a district manager and plans on retiring soon to pursue other endeavors. He currently resides in Springfield, Mo., where he oversees Wal-Mart operations in Southern Missouri.
Of those future endeavors, Balentine said he’ll continue to conduct camps close to home and also abroad. Balentine has already conducted clinics in China and Indonesia, and has clinics planned for Springfield on April 29 and another trip back to Indonesia.
Approximately 45 youth attended Saturday’s clinic at Temple Baptist Church, which helped raise revenue to sponsor a missionary trip to Venezuela. It was also a youth fund-raiser for the church.
While most of the adults present were familiar with Balentine’s storied past at Arkansas, many of the younger participants weren’t aware of the former Razorback’s heroics. But by the end of the afternoon, they were lined up for autographs, photographs and handshakes.
“I think most of the adults here know who I am,” Balentine joked. “Most of the kids don’t realize much about my past. I think they associate me more with having played basketball against Michael Jordan rather than the shot.”
But knowing who Charles Balentine is really isn’t important to the former Razorback. Balentine said he rarely brings up his past as a basketball player, much less the shot that took down the top-ranked Tar Heels.
It’s Arkansas fans, and college basketball fans across the country in general, who haven’t forgotten his name.
Instead, Balentine tries to use his past success to open doors for others. An example of that was his lending a hand to Saturday’s clinic along with a couple of his friends, former Southwest Missouri State player Fred Johnson and Shawn Bass, who is the Director for the Boys & Girls Club in Springfield.
“It’s good to influence kids and try to help them in the right direction with the decisions they make,” Balentine said. “The biggest goal we had today, though, was to raise money for the missionary trip to Venezuela. We’re glad we could all help be a part of that.”

mroberson@jonesborosun.com