January 31, 2002



Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth Street NW
Washington, DC  20549

RE:  Schedule 13G Report
     New Century Financial
     As of December 31, 2001

Gentlemen:

In accordance with Section 13(d)(5) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, attached please find a copy of a Schedule 13G for the above
named company showing beneficial ownership of 5% or more as of
December 31, 2001 filed on behalf of Awad Asset Management, Inc.

Very truly yours,



Kenneth K. Koster
Senior Vice President, Administration
Chief Compliance Officer

KKK:jmw
Enclosures

cc:  Office of the Corporate Secretary
     New Century Fiancial
     18400 Von Karman, Suite 1000
     Irvine, CA  92612

     Securities Division
     NASD Financial Center
     33 Whitehall Street
     New York, NY  10004








               SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                    Washington, D.C.  20549

                          Schedule 13G

           Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                    (Amendment No.    )*


                  New Century Financial
                     (Name of Issuer)


            Common Stock par value $.0l per share
                 (Title of Class of Securities)


                           64352D101
                         (CUSIP Number)


Check  the  following  box  if a fee  is  being  paid  with  this
statement  _____.   (A fee is not required  only  if  the  filing
person:    (1)  has  a  previous  statement  on  file   reporting
beneficial  ownership of more than five percent of the  class  of
securities  described in Item 1; and (2) has filed  no  amendment
subsequent thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent
or less of such class.)  (See Rule 13d-7.)

*The  remainder  of this cover page shall be  filled  out  for  a
reporting  person's initial filing on this form with  respect  to
the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment
containing information which would alter the disclosures provided
in a prior cover page.

The  information  required in the remainder of  this  cover  page
shall  not be deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section  18
of  the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934  ("Act")  or  otherwise
subject  to the liabilities of that section of the Act but  shall
be  subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see  the
Notes).










                        Page 1 of 5 Pages





CUSIP NO. 64352D101                                 13G

 1  NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
    S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
      Awad Asset Management, Inc. 58-2372400

 2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*    (A)______
                                                        (B)______

 3  SEC USE ONLY


 4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

   State of New York


     NUMBER OF           5    SOLE VOTING POWER
       SHARES                     1,155,540
   BENEFICIALLY          6    SHARED VOTING POWER
      OWNED                       - - -
      AS OF
   DECEMBER 31, 2001     7    SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
     BY EACH                      1,155,540
   REPORTING             8    SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER
   PERSON WITH                    - - -

 9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

                     1,155,540
10 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*


11  PERCENT OF CLASS RPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9

           5.65%

12  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

            IA


                  *SEE INSTRUCTION BEFORE FILLING OUT!




                          Page 2 of 5 Pages










Item 1(a) Name of Issuer:

          New Century Financial

Item 1(b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executing Offices:

          18400 Von Karman, Suite 1000
          Irvine, CA  92612



Item 2(a) Name of Person Filing:

          Awad Asset Management, Inc.


Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office:

          250 Park Avenue, 2nd Floor
          New York, NY  10177


Item 2(c) Citizenship:

          New York


Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities:

          Common Stock par value $.01 per share


Item 2(e) CUSIP Number:

          64352D101

Item 3    Type of Reporting Person:

          (e)   Investment  Adviser  registered  under Section 203 of the
                Investment Advisors Act of 1940










                  Page 3 of 5 Pages






Item 4     Ownership as of December 31, 2001:

           (a)  Amount Beneficially Owned:

                1,155,540 shares of common stock beneficially owned including:

                                                            No. of Shares
            Awad Asset
            Management, Inc.                                   1,155,540

            (b) Percent of Class:                                 5.65%

            (c) Deemed  Voting Power  and  Disposition Power:

                (i)            (ii)           (iii)            (iv)
                                              Deemed           Deemed
                Deemed         Deemed         to have          to have
                to have        to have        Sole Power       Shared Power
                Sole Power     Shared Power   to Dispose       to Dispose
                to Vote or     to Vote or     or to            or to
                to Direct      to  Direct     Direct the       Direct the
                to Vote        to Vote        Disposition      Disposition

Awad Asset      1,155,540      ----           1,155,540        ----
Management, Inc.

Item 5     Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

           If  this  statement is being filed to report the  fact
           that as of the date hereof the reporting person has ceased to be
           the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the  class  of
           securities,  check the following.
                                                           (____)

Item 6     Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf  of Another Person:

           N/A

Item 7     Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary which Acquired
           the Security Being  Reported on by the Parent Holding Company:

           N/A








                       Page 4 of 5 Pages






Item 8     Identification and Classification of  Members  of the Group:   N/A

Item 9     Notice of Dissolution of Group:   N/A

Item 10    Certification:

           By  signing  below I certify that to the  best  of  my
knowledge  and  belief,  the securities referred  to  above  were
acquired in the ordinary course of business and were not acquired
for  purpose  of  and  do  not have the  effect  of  changing  or
influencing the control of the issuer of such securities and were
not  acquired  in  connection with or as  a  participant  in  any
transaction having such purposes or effect.

           Signature

           After  reasonable  inquiry  and  to  the  best  of  my
knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in
this statement is true, complete and correct.

Date: January 31, 2002             AWAD ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC.


                                   __________________________________
                                   Kenneth K. Koster
                                   Chief Compliance Officer








                       Page 5 of 5 Pages