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	Thursday, February 17 Learning curve bends toward March
	Auburn's Chris Porter returns to wreak havoc. Teams across the country are about to take the first steps on the road to the Final Four. Everyone knows Indianapolis is the final destination, but how does a team make it from November to March intact? ESPN.com's Andy Katz takes a month-by-month look at what it will take to make it to March, and Pat Forde enlightens us with what we might learn along the way. For those who can't wait until March to see the NCAA Tournament bracket, here's ESPN.com's projected field of 64. ESPN.com rankings: Preseason top 64 | ESPN.com Fan Poll ESPN experts: Predictions | Roundtable Audio chat wrap: Dick Vitale Blue Ribbon joins ESPN.com Blue Ribbon brings its unparalled college basketball coverage to ESPN.com. To order the 19th edition of Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, call 800-828-HOOP (4667), or visit their web site at http://www.collegebaskets.com Features and columns Ranking the top 100 players Forget traditional positions -- Basketball News breaks down the top 20 players at each of five vital skills. Huskies hungry to repeat Some of the faces are new, but the UConn Huskies share a burning desire to get back to the Final Four. West Coast hoops fighting for reputation Don't take last year's NCAA Tournament as a representative sample of West Coast basketball, says ESPN.com's Ed Graney. ACC out for NCAA justice ACC coaches want to put aside last season's record-low three NCAA Tournament bids. Hoops takes hold in deep South There used to be two seasons in the South: Football and spring football. ESPN.com's Pat Forde says that isn't the case anymore. Q back in school Quentin Richardson's return to DePaul has the Blue Demons thinking NCAA Tournament. The very model of a mid-major general For some, there are more important things than a big payday at a major school. Just ask Detroit's Perry Watson. Coaching trend favoring beauty before age Forget tradition and experience -- the guys getting the big jobs are young and full of energy. Production comes early, often for some Some programs naturally get more out of newcomers, writes ESPN.com's Andy Katz. UConn starts atop ESPN/USA Today preseason poll Defending champ Connecticut earned the No. 1 spot in the ESPN/USA Today preseason Top 25. Auburn's Porter tops AP's preseason All-America squad Auburn's Chris Porter and a pair of Big Ten guards lead the AP's preseason All-America squad. Top 25 games to watch Grab your day-planner. ESPN.com breaks down the top 25 non-conference games of the season.		Conferences America East ACC Atlantic 10 Big East Big Sky Big South Big Ten Big 12 Big West Colonial Conference USA Independents Ivy League MAAC Mid-American Mid-Continent Mid-Eastern Athletic MCC Missouri Valley Mountain West Northeast Ohio Valley Pac-10 Patriot SEC Southern Southland Sun Belt SWAC TAAC WAC West Coast