Jazz guard Darryn Peterson faced some questions about his competitive desire from fans and the media due to the cramping issues that plagued his freshman season at Kansas, but people who know him best nearly universally describe the No. 2 overall pick as having a “killer” mentality on the court, writes Jason Batacao of The Salt Lake Tribune.

Part of the reason why Peterson was regarded as the preseason frontrunner to be selected with the top pick was because he outdueled AJ Dybantsa (who ended up going No. 1) and Cameron Boozer (No. 3) in high school. Peterson was renowned for his work ethic and professionalism as a senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, according to Batacao.

“It’s not going to be loud with Darryn, and it’s not going to be braggadocious behind the scenes,” said Prolific Prep head coach Ryan Bernardi. “In his mind he’s a killer, and he will have those games circled. Listen, we had AJ Dybantsa the year before, and Darryn’s work ethic, his impact on the game, his leadership … it blew AJ’s out of the water.”

Here’s more on the Jazz:

• Peterson’s assistant coach at Kansas, Kurtis Townsend, called Peterson the Jayhawks’ “bona fide leader” despite the uncertainty and drama that came with his injury absences, Batacao adds. Townsend believes Peterson will use the questions he faced leading up to the draft as motivation going forward. “I think it’s scary to think about what he’s going to be like three years from now,” Townsend told The Salt Lake Tribune. “He’s just going to keep getting better and better.”
• Within a story about Utah’s three two-way players — Blake Hinson, Trey Alexander and Tamar Bates — Sarah Todd of The Deseret News reports that Hinson has lost more than 20 pounds since the end of last season. “Blake’s had a great summer — he’s lost a bunch of weight,” Jazz assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said. “He’s going to shoot a really good percentage, but it’s the other areas of the game that the conditioning improvement have allowed him to make an impact defensively. Just the way he moves offensively and defensively, he’s really taken a step forward.”
• According to Todd, the Jazz have been cautious with Bates during Summer League action because the former Missouri guard is still battling some soreness in his left foot. Bates spent most of last season on a two-way deal with Denver, but his rookie season was derailed in December when he underwent surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot. He was waived by the Nuggets in March and caught on with Utah earlier this month.
• Jazz president Danny Ainge will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in October, per Dick Harmon of The Deseret News. Ainge’s former BYU teammates praised the ex-NBA guard and questioned why it took so long for him to receive the honor, Harmon writes.