If you’re living in Richmond with a cellphone area code of 562, you are likely far from home.

Meet Jonathan Salazar, whose basketball road trip has taken him from his native Panama to Nevada to California to New Mexico, back to California, and now to Virginia Union University.

His 562 Area Code stems from when he was in high school (St. John Bosco Technical Institute) in the Greater Los Angeles area.

“I like Richmond and want to learn more about it. This is where I want to finish my college career,” said the 6-foot-6, 240-pound post player.

He’s starting to feel the rhythm of the Richmond beat.

“I’m feeling very healthy …light on my feet … the best I’ve felt in years,” he said.

Salazar, as well as VUU loyalists, are hopeful his travels, and his injuries, are behind him. Two Achilles tears (one to each foot) plus knee surgery have veered him off course at times.

“Jonathan was a three-star prospect (solid Division I) com- ing out of high school, but the injuries got in the way,” said Panthers Coach Jay Butler.

With full medical clearance, he’s been increasingly effective of late, scoring 15 points and grabbing six rebounds in a loss to Livingstone and adding 13 points and eight boards in another setback to Johnson C. Smith.

His epic game wearing the maroon and steel was Dec. 30 with 21 points and 12 rebounds in 35 minutes in a 68-66 loss at Fairmont, W.Va.

The Panthers have dropped their last four by a combined 14 points.

On the season, the Panamanian averages nine points (third on the team) and a Panthers’ best seven rebounds, with 17 steals and seven blocked shots.

“It’s like he’s turned the corner,” Coach Butler said. “We see Jonathan as a potential double-double man (scoring and rebound norms).

“He’s a skilled kid with a high basketball IQ.”

From Colon, Panama, Salazar’s size and talent was rec- ognized as a teenager (making the Panamanian National Team in 2017) and the travel wheels began spinning.

There was a prep school in Nevada followed by a season at Bosco. From there he signed with NCAA Division I University of Pacific, playing one injury-plagued season.

Sidetracked by medical woes, he spent time at junior colleges in New Mexico and California before connecting with Coach Butler and VUU.

“We have an overseas contact that helped us get in touch,” Coach Butler said.

Salazar added that his “old AAU coach” put in a good word for VUU, highlighting its three NCAA Division II crowns and impressive list of NBA players.

An area Salazar needs to polish is staying out of foul trouble. He’s collected a team-high 46 fouls while playing 24.3 minutes per contest.

The mass communications major fouled out in the Livingstone game and had four fouls against Johnson C. Smith.

“We need to keep Jonathan on the floor more,” Coach Butler said. “We’d like to get him up to about 30 minutes.”

One area Salazar hasn’t struggled is with the language.

His mother, Etania, is an English teacher in Panama and prepared her son for travels that have taken him to both sides of the U.S. VUU is optimistic the basketball vagabond is feeling like a Richmonder – even with his 562 area code.