In his three years of eligibility between 1991–92 and 1993–94, Scales had a standout career. He led the
Southern Jaguars to the
1993 NCAA Tournament as a
junior. As a #13 seed, they upset the heavily favored #4 seed
Georgia Tech 93–78 behind Scales' 27 points and 18 rebounds. They lost in the next round, however. As a
senior, he finished in the top 5 in the nation for both scoring average and rebounding average. At one point during that season he was number one in both statistical categories and could have joined
Kurt Thomas,
Hank Gathers and
Xavier McDaniel as the only players in
Division I history to have led the nation in both categories in the same season. On February 7, 1994, Scales grabbed 32 rebounds in a game against
Grambling State, which is tied for the third-highest total in the post-1973 basketball era. At the end of his senior year he was named the
Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year. ==Professional==