Corliss Williamson played basketball at Russellville High School, where he achieved numerous accolades.

As a senior Williamson averaged twenty-eight points and nine rebounds per game,[3] and led his team to the King Cotton Classic championship.

Williamson was named tournament MVP, but gave his medal to his teammate, Marcus Thompson, at the award podium.

[2] Williamson closed out his high school career with a selection to play in the 1992 McDonald's All-American Game.

In the 1992–93 season, Williamson led Arkansas to a 22–9 record and a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, losing to the eventual national champion, the North Carolina Tar Heels.

In the 1993–94 season, Williamson was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament while leading the Razorbacks to a 31–3 record and their only championship under coach Nolan Richardson by defeating the Duke Blue Devils, 76–72, in the title game.

After Sacramento traded him prior to the 2000–01 season to the Toronto Raptors (in exchange for Doug Christie), for whom he played 42 games, Williamson was traded to the Detroit Pistons, along with Kornel David, Tyrone Corbin, and a 2005 first-round draft choice in a package for Jerome Williams and Eric Montross.

[1] Williamson has the distinction of being one of the few professional basketball players to win championships at three different levels, AAU, the NCAA with Arkansas, and the NBA with Detroit.

[13] Williamson was previously connected to Igor by playing under him back when Kokoškov was an assistant coach for the Detroit Pistons during the 2003–04 championship season.