Darryn Peterson took a gulp from his plastic water bottle and set it carefully on the table. Then he slowly leaned forward and moved his mouth closer to the microphone.

The Utah Jazz rookie was stalling.

He didn’t want to answer the question right away. He hemmed and hawed, his mind clearly racing.

The question: What is the biggest difference between the college and pro game?

The 19-year-old Peterson admitted he wanted to be careful not to bash the past.

And finally, Peterson smiled and started to speak.

“Probably just my teammates are challenging me every day,” he said. “Now, I got vets that are like adults, so it’s different from my older teammates in college that are like in my age realm, but now I feel like I have a couple of mentors and people that are super like-minded with me now.”

In front of a packed room of journalists who had waited in anticipation for the No. 2 overall pick on Jazz media day, Peterson seemed at ease. It didn’t feel like he was a rookie.

His demeanor signaled a level of comfort that was absent during his lone season at Kansas. Just months ago, Peterson was in the midst of one of the most difficult basketball seasons of his life.

The former Kansas star dealt with full-body cramping issues that he called “a traumatic experience.” It caused him to miss multiple games, and multiple sources told The Tribune he was never fully healthy.

Until he opened up about the cramping issues at the Big 12 Tournament, Peterson rarely spoke to the media. When he did, every comment seemed to be scrutinized.

None more so than when Peterson described himself as an “anti-social loner” when asked about how he deals with national media attention.

Well, that comment doesn’t seem entirely true.

Not now.

Peterson is no doubt a bit quieter than many of the brash personalities in the basketball world. Still, he’s appeared to fit in quite well with the Jazz. Multiple teammates of Peterson praised his maturity, work ethic and eagerness to learn.

Jazz center Jusuf Nurkić went even further.

“I’ve never seen in my 13 years a kid coming into the league and be that mature for his age,” he said. “When I see a person like that and a player like that, I really want to help him. I think so far, he’s been nothing but great. … Everyone loves him.”

Nurkić said it’s gotten to the point where they almost have to tell Peterson to stay out of the gym.

Now, Peterson’s work ethic has never been in question. Even in a strange year at Kansas, it earned his teammates’ admiration.

That’s continued in Salt Lake. And it has stood out to head coach Will Hardy.

“He’s a very serious young man when it comes to the work he’s doing every day and has shown the ability to be a fast learner,” Hardy said. “Our fanbase will take to Darryn quickly.

“He’s competitive, tough, excited to be here and a great teammate. His transition to our Utah family has been pretty seamless.”

A busy offseason has helped with that transition.

Since getting drafted, Peterson has worked on his all-around game and improved his overall strength. He’s also spent plenty of time at the Jazz practice facility to build chemistry with his teammates.

In the film room, he’s watched a lot of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey and Andrew Nembhard. He noted that they’re all guards who use their bodies well to get to the rim.

All that preparation will be tested soon.

Fans will get a chance to see Peterson play in Sunday’s preseason game versus the Denver Nuggets.

From there, the regular season starts in just over two weeks. Utah travels to Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Oct. 21.

For Peterson, a successful rookie season isn’t based on stats or accolades. He defines it by winning, which he believes will lead to team and individual goals.

“Impact and winning are just the main thing on my mind right now,” he said. “So doing that every night.”