Updated 10:03 p.m.

KANSAS CITY — What saved North Carolina’s season also doomed it in the end. The Tar Heels, who had shot so well recently, went cold from the perimeter against one of the best defensive teams in the nation and suffered a season-ending 70-58 defeat against Kansas on Sunday night in the third round of the NCAA tournament.

This is what UNC coach Roy Williams feared when he changed his strategy midseason and began using a four-guard starting lineup. Before making that change, Williams said he didn’t want the Tar Heels to be a team that lived by the 3-pointer and died by it.

But the Heels’ perimeter offense often gave them life during the past six weeks. It extinguished it on Sunday.

Both North Carolina’s best asset and most glaring liability played prominent roles on Friday night against Villanova. In the end, the Tar Heels ability to shoot from the perimeter outweighed their inability to rebound, and UNC escaped with an 78-71 victory in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

UNC coach Roy Williams made the mid-season switch to a smaller, four-guard starting lineup because he believed it would give his team its best chance to be successful. But he also understood that the lineup presented risks – especially against teams with size, and ones that rebound well.

The eighth-seeded Tar Heels (25-10) ability to shoot saved them on Friday inside the Sprint Center, after they surrendered a 20-point first-half lead. But their inability to rebound effectively nearly doomed them

North Carolina coach Roy Williams says he was "confused" by NCAA tournament selection show. ROBERT WILLETT

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina coach Roy Williams was “stunned” when he learned that the Tar Heels would be a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament, he said on Tuesday. UNC, the eighth seed in the South Region, will play against No. 9 Villanova on Friday in Kansas City.

The winner likely gets to play Kansas, the region’s top seed, on Sunday. Williams coached at Kansas for 15 seasons before returning to his alma mater in 2003.

I have a full story coming about Williams’ comments, but here he is, in his own words, about UNC’s seeding:

Monte Towe will be in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday with Middle Tennessee State in the NCAA tournament.

There's a part of the former N.C. State assistant coach, and star player, that wishes he could stay until Friday to watch the Wolfpack take on Temple.

Towe, an assistant to Sidney Lowe for five seasons at State, helped recruit and develop many of the current Wolfpack players.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams will need his small lineup to play big against Villanova. ROY WILLIAMS

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina will begin play on Friday in the NCAA tournament in Kansas City. The Tar Heels, seeded eighth in the South Region, will play against No. 9 Villanova. The winner would likely play against Kansas, the region’s top seed, on Sunday.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams isn't happy with the NCAA tournament selection committee. ROBERT WILLETT

North Carolina coach Roy Williams voiced his displeasure earlier today with the NCAA tournament selection committee, which awarded three ACC teams with at-large bids for the NCAA tournament.

Miami, which defeated North Carolina 87-77 in the ACC tournament championship game on Sunday, earned the ACC’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Hurricanes became the first team in history not to receive a No. 1 seed after both winning the ACC regular season outright and winning the conference tournament.

GREENSBORO — North Carolina coach Roy Williams could coach against his old team in the third round of the NCAA tournament. First, though, the Tar Heels will need to beat Villanova.