D.J. Balentine is an American former professional basketball player and coach best known for his standout career with the University of Evansville Purple Aces. A native of Kokomo, Indiana, Balentine played for UE from 2012 to 2016 and became one of the most accomplished players in program history.

University of Evansville

Balentine finished his University of Evansville career with 2,464 points, making him the all-time leading scorer in UE men’s basketball history. He broke the previous record of 2,279 points held by Colt Ryan in February 2016.

Balentine led the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring for three consecutive seasons, joining basketball legends Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson as the only players at the time to accomplish that feat. He was also named First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference three consecutive times.

As a junior, Balentine helped lead Evansville to the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) championship.

He graduated from the University of Evansville in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Advertising and Management and a minor in Business.

Professional Career

Following UE, Balentine played professional basketball internationally, with stops in Lithuania, the Netherlands, Iceland, and Cyprus.

Return to Evansville

Balentine later moved into coaching and returned to the University of Evansville in 2023 as Director of Player Development for the men’s basketball program.

In 2024, he was promoted to assistant coach, bringing one of the most successful playing careers in Purple Aces history back to the UE basketball program.