Welcome, Jeff! A year ago I was in the same situation as you - knowing I would be getting a basenji within a year. I joined the forum in February and have been learning ever since. Now I have a wonderful teacher - my own basenji boy. All I can say is learn, learn, learn and really determine if this breed will fit into your lifestyle.
The best thing I ever did was to go to dog shows and meet various breeders. I concentrated on talking to those who were listed on the Basenji Club of America web site. It wasn't long before I found the breeders I knew would provide me with a puppy that would have a great temperment and that I would be proud to own (but maybe I think basenjis own us) :).
Also, knowing about the parentage of your prospective dog is a must. The parent dogs need to have been Fanconi tested. If you do a search on Fanconi in the search area of this website, you will find tons of information.
Remember, there are also a number of wonderful dogs that you can get through BRAT (Basenji Rescue and Transport).