The double-digit margin of victory might have felt like a formality, but as he walked off the court at Conte Forum on Saturday, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski still noticed something he hasn’t come across often in 36 years on the sidelines.

He crossed paths with Boston College center Dennis Clifford and stopped him to shake hands.

Krzyzewski could remember five years ago when Clifford came to BC with the hope of being one of the pillars of a program Steve Donahue was putting together.

The coach remembered how two years later, a chronic knee injury had Clifford looking like a shell of that player.

“I could remember coming up here a few years ago and Clifford could hardly walk,’’ Krzyzewski said. “He wasn’t even playing. He literally had a hard time walking.’’

When he saw Clifford on Saturday, watching the 7-foot senior pivot in the post for 12 points and battle in the paint for five rebounds, albeit in an 81-64 loss, Krzyzewski saw a player who battled for five years to figure out a way to get on the floor. Krzyzewski made sure he told him just that.

“What he’s done — I don’t know all the stuff — he must’ve done a lot of stuff because he moves well,’’ Krzyzewski said, “I admire that, that kid’s commitment and his commitment to BC. He didn’t have to stay here for his fifth year and he stayed. You have to admire that.’’

Clifford appreciated the words.

“I’ve heard that a lot from opposing coaches,’’ Clifford said. “I definitely appreciate every time somebody shouts me out basically for what I’ve been through.’’

Krzyzewski knows the value of having experienced players.

Duke came into the game dealing with untimely injuries, after senior forward Amile Jefferson went down indefinitely with a right foot injury, and an overflow of inexperience with nine underclassmen on its roster.

BC could relate to the inexperience.

With eight true freshmen, most players on the Eagles’ roster were getting their first taste of ACC basketball, against the defending national champions.

The No. 15 Blue Devils had enough talent to overcome their issues. The Eagles’ loss showed that gaining experience in one of the country’s tougher conferences will be a long process.

That, Krzyzewski said, is where seasoned players such as Clifford and fifth-year senior guard Eli Carter will play a crucial role.

Carter, who has battled under bright lights in the Big East and SEC while at Rutgers and Florida, scored a team-high 19 points and dished out five assists.

“The freshmen are lucky to have two guys like that,’’ Krzyzewski said. “Just like our freshmen are lucky to have Matt [Jones], Marshall [Plumlee], and then Amile. It’s tough for freshmen. There’s no way they can completely understand just how intense and how tough conference [play] is. So to have two guys like that, that helps them.’’

But BC coach Jim Christian was looking to see which of his young players would step up.

Freshman guard Jerome Robinson, who grew up in the heart of ACC country in Raleigh, N.C., was hardly overwhelmed, scoring 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists.

But the Eagles shot just 36 percent in the first half.

“Shots you make every single day, we missed point-blank shots, we missed wide-open shots, and you’re not going to beat them if you miss wide-open shots,’’ Christian said. “If you get wide-open shots, you’re not going to make them all, but you have to make them pay.’’

Between Brandon Ingram (25 points, nine rebounds) and Grayson Allen (17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists), Duke had more than enough firepower.

The loss snapped the Eagles’s season-best four-game winning streak. They haven’t won an ACC opener since 2011. But Krzyzewski saw a team with promise.

“I think they’re a better team than they were last year,’’ Krzyzewski said. “I think they’re a real team. I think they pull for one another.

“I mentioned a number of times to my staff and to the players, I said, ‘Look, this team is a together team. They really play good defense. They have each other’s back. They’re doing good things.’?’’

Julian Benbow can be reached at jbenbow@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @julianbenbow.