During the challenging process of transferring schools, athletes are on the lookout for a soft landing spot and a friendly, familiar face.

Jimmy Paige IV found both at Virginia Union University.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward has been an early-season catalyst for the Panthers, averaging 10 points, five rebounds and leading the team with 18 three-pointers.

“Jimmy’s a blue-collar kid who can score, shoot the three, mix it up,” said VUU Coach Jay Butler.

“We’re looking for even bigger things from him as we reach conference play.”

Paige —who wears jersey No. 4 “because I’m the Fourth,” he says — arrived at VUU after two seasons at Siena College in New York, a school in the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Conference.

The son of James H. Paige III and Robyn Price decided to move on when his playing time decreased as a sophomore during the 2015-16 season.

Relocating at a Division II school such as VUU made sense because he would have immediate eligibility. Also, the Panthers’ rich tradition — three NCAA Division II titles and 24 NCAA tourney berths — remains a drawing card. A lateral transfer, Division I to Division I, would have required a sit-out period of one season.

VUU moved to the top of Paige’s list because of his relationship with Robert Johnson, Coach Butler’s second-year assistant coach.

“We had connections,” said Coach Butler of the recruiting process.

Prior to his senior year at Cape Henry Collegiate School in Virginia Beach, Paige played for the Boo Williams U-18 travel outfit. His teammates included Coach Johnson’s talented son, Robert Johnson Jr., now a starting guard at Indiana University but then a rising senior at Benedictine Prep.

“I met Mr. Johnson playing AAU ball, and he had a whole lot to do with me coming here” to VUU, Paige said.

Also showcased on that 2013 Boo Williams juggernaut team was 7-foot Thon Maker, now a rookie with the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks.

Paige is no stranger to pulling up stakes.

Born in Ohio, he grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn and private Middleburg Academy in Loudoun County before enrolling at Cape Henry Collegiate in Virginia Beach.

At Middleburg, a notable teammate was Mo Alie-Cox, now a starting center at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Paige’s athletic ability comes as no surprise.

His father scored 1,141 career points at Bethany College in West Virginia and is member of that school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1982, the older Paige was the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Player of the Year, leading Bethany College to the league crown.

The younger Paige is a quick athlete with a smooth shooting stroke, but he’s also willing to do “the dirty work,” as he calls it. In fact, he earned the nickname “Junkyard Dog” for his penchant for scrapping and clawing for every rebound and loose ball.

The newcomer’s all-around skills are being rewarded. He’s fourth on the VUU team in minutes played (23.9 minutes per night) behind seniors Ray Anderson and Tavon Mealy and junior Kory Cooley.

Paige has plenty of pizzazz on the floor. But away from the action, he is easygoing, soft-spoken and a serious student.

It stands to reason he’s majoring in accounting. Considering everything, his decision to transfer to VUU all added up.